> If only, but no. Thanks to equally ubiquitous video and image editing and now AI and the profit potential of social media there are more such claims than anyone can count.

That's a more recent development. UFO sightings surge when the technology aligns with them: when the camera is blurry or you're not expected to carry one, or when faking with editing or AI is trivial. But there was a long middle when everyone had access to phone cameras yet editing/faking was hard, and UFO sightings by civilians became rare.

Same with the Loch Ness monster, the Yeti, Big Foot, etc. These monsters were apparently very shy during the phone camera era, but I bet you with AI image editing they will overcome their shyness!