Trekkers' cameras catch flying objects

CEBU, Philippines - The presence of two strange flying creatures caught on camera inside a huge cave in the southern town of Argao, Cebu, has baffled local tourism officials. They believed that the footage captured by a group of call center agents were of fishlike or snakelike objects about a meter long that have been spotted in mountain areas of Mexico, Japan and Europe. These creatures are called skyfish or flying rods because of their stick-like body. They have appendages along their torsos that reportedly flap in a wave motion while moving. But according to The Straight Dope, a syndicated column in the US, the video footage are that of ordinary insects. It said that the camera’s video capture framerate is too slow to capture the number of cycles of the insect’s wing beat, resulting in a distorted image that looks like a flying rod. “Essentially what you see is several wingbeat cycles of the insect on each frame of the video, creating the illusion of a “rod" with bulges along its length. The blurred body of the insect as it moves forward forms the “rod," and the oscillation of the wings up and down forms the bulges." “Anyone with a video camera can duplicate the effect, if you shoot enough footage of flying insects from the right distance," said a Straight Dope column published in September 2000. “We have consulted photographers and experts. They insisted that the object is not a reflection of anything. Right now, we’re in a quandary. Probably, they’re flying rods," said Alex K. Gonzales, Argao tourism officer. Gonzales said the photos bearing the skyfish were taken when a group of eight call center agents were touring the House of Giants cave, known as Balay sa Agta, in Barangay Conalum, a hilly village 10 kilometers from the town proper. The cave, a tourist destination, got its name because of its large natural hollow, which can accommodate the entire, if not two St. Michael Parish buildings, Argao’s centuries-old church, he said. - Sun.Star