This report of an encounter in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is found in the second chapter of the book
Live Pterosaurs in America, third edition,
by Jonathan David Whitcomb
copyright 2009-2017 Jonathan Whitcomb
Live Pterosaurs in America
“Pterodactyl” Sighting in a California Desert
Eyewitness Account of a Pterosaur Sighting in a Desert
“Dear Mr. Whitcomb [email of June 25, 2007]
“I have been haunted for close to twenty years by what I saw in the desert. I have
never told anyone due to the fact that I was afraid I would be thought nuts. [The
other eyewitness] was in the public eye and did not want to be ridiculed. Anyway I
can’t tell you what a relief it is to know I am not alone. . . .”
Q: What desert was this?
A: The [Anza-Borrego] State Park. We did four-wheel-drive everywhere we went in
the three days we were out there. We would pack our provisions and head out at
dawn and would not return to base until close to sundown. I wasn’t the driver and I
had never been out there before so I will do the best I can to recall. I do remember
traveling in the Badlands. . . . I also recall Henderson Canyon Trail. I remember this
because we checked out Peg Leg Smith’s Historical Marker. . . . The day we saw the
animal I believe we were somewhere between Old Kane Springs and the Badlands.
[anonymous companion] I was with got rather [freaked out from] the creature and
wanted to go back to base. I believe we left for home the following morning.
Q: What time of year was it?
A: It was approximately 16 years ago [1991] that I had the sighting but I’ll dig deep.
To the best of my recollection it was in the spring . . . I am not sure. . . . it was not in
the summer. I don’t do well in the heat.
Q: What time of day was it?
A: Late afternoon, almost sundown.
Q: How well did you see the form or shape of the creature?
A: Well enough to remember some details and to never forget what I saw. We were
sitting in the late afternoon shade of a ridge, on lawn chairs, enjoying the solitude
and peace and quiet of the desert when it passed over. I caught the sight of it with
the corner of my eye and looked up. It was soaring along the side of a plateau not
far from us. We knew what it looked like. In fact, I remember saying ‘. . . that looks
just like a Taradactyl!’ . . .
. . . it had to have been [a] lot larger than an eagle, maybe three times larger. . . . the
face . . . seemed to be narrow and mostly beak. . . . It did not have a tail. But it did
have a nub where a tail would be.
Comments on the Sighting
in the Anza-Borrego Desert
From the author of LPA, Jonathan Whitcomb:
I found this eyewitness to be very credible, with no
sign of any mental disturbance or any indication that
she may have had any motive for being dishonest
about what she told me.
This sighting in the California state park was unusual
in that the flying creature had no tail or a very short
tail, unlike the great majority of sightings of apparent
pterosaurs. Nevertheless, over the past 14 years of
examining eyewitness testimony, I have found a signi-
ficant minority of sighting reports in which a short
tail was described. I believe that a minority of these
featherless flying creatures are Pterodactyloids.
Live Pterosaurs in America:
Sightings in California
Many persons have seen apparent living pterosaurs in various parts
of California. Why have they seemed to observe what so many have
assumed were extinct for millions of years? For one thing, at least
two species of these featherless flying creatures are very much alive.
Many of these large flying animals are unlike the one that was seen
in the Anza-Borrego State Park in Southern California, for they have
long tails. In addition, many sightings are not in or near any desert.
In fact, many sightings of apparent living pterosaurs come from Los
Angeles County, even a few of them from the city of Los Angeles. In
general, those sightings are over or near storm channels or at least
not very far from one of those channels.
Two sightings have been reported from the same backyard in the
city of Lakewood, California. Those two encounters, however, were
in different years and with different eyewitnesses. In both cases,
the “dragon” (or “pterodactyl”) was near a storm channel.
The truth about pterosaurs: Some of them live in the
United States of America, in spite of extinction dogma
Read many other sighting reports in the nonfiction book LIve Pterosaurs in America. The second chapter ("California Sightings") has
a report of a giant long-tailed pterosaur flying over a road near the University of California at Irvine. The eyewitness descriptions
suggest that this is a different kind of animal, not the same species as the one seen in the Anza Borrago State Park in 1991. The one
seen near the university (2007) was like a giant Rhamphorhynchoid; the one seen in the desert was like a big (no-tail) Pterodactyloid.
[sighting by SNW, an anonymous eyewitness]
Live Pterosaurs in America
“Pterodactyl” Sighting in a California Desert
This report of an encounter in the Anza-Borrego Desert
State Park is found in the second chapter of the book
Live Pterosaurs in America, third edition,
by Jonathan David Whitcomb
Eyewitness Account of a Pterosaur Sighting in a Desert
“Dear Mr. Whitcomb [email of June 25, 2007]
“I have been haunted for close to twenty years by what I saw in the desert. I have
never told anyone due to the fact that I was afraid I would be thought nuts. [The
other eyewitness] was in the public eye and did not want to be ridiculed. Anyway I
can’t tell you what a relief it is to know I am not alone. . . .”
Q: What desert was this?
A: The [Anza-Borrego] State Park. We did four-wheel-drive everywhere we went in
the three days we were out there. We would pack our provisions and head out at
dawn and would not return to base until close to sundown. I wasn’t the driver and I
had never been out there before so I will do the best I can to recall. I do remember
traveling in the Badlands. . . . I also recall Henderson Canyon Trail. I remember this
because we checked out Peg Leg Smith’s Historical Marker. . . . The day we saw the
animal I believe we were somewhere between Old Kane Springs and the Badlands.
[anonymous companion] I was with got rather [freaked out from] the creature and
wanted to go back to base. I believe we left for home the following morning.
Q: What time of year was it?
A: It was approximately 16 years ago [1991] that I had the sighting but I’ll dig deep.
To the best of my recollection it was in the spring . . . I am not sure. . . . it was not in
the summer. I don’t do well in the heat.
Q: What time of day was it?
A: Late afternoon, almost sundown.
Q: How well did you see the form or shape of the creature?
A: Well enough to remember some details and to never forget what I saw. We were
sitting in the late afternoon shade of a ridge, on lawn chairs, enjoying the solitude
and peace and quiet of the desert when it passed over. I caught the sight of it with
the corner of my eye and looked up. It was soaring along the side of a plateau not
far from us. We knew what it looked like. In fact, I remember saying ‘. . . that looks
just like a Taradactyl!’ . . .
. . . it had to have been [a] lot larger than an eagle, maybe three times larger. . . . the
face . . . seemed to be narrow and mostly beak. . . . It did not have a tail. But it did
have a nub where a tail would be.
Comments on the Sighting in the Anza-Borrego Desert
From the author of LPA, Jonathan Whitcomb:
I found this eyewitness to be very credible, with no sign of any mental disturbance
or any indication that she may have had any motive for being dishonest about what
she told me.
This sighting in the California state park was unusual in that the flying creature had
no tail or a very short tail, unlike the great majority of sightings of apparent pterosaurs.
Nevertheless, over the past 14 years of examining eyewitness testimony, I have found
a significant minority of sighting reports in which a short tail was described. I believe
that a minority of these featherless flying creatures are Pterodactyloids.
The truth about pterosaurs: Some of them live in the
United States of America, in spite of extinction dogma
Live Pterosaurs in America: Sightings in California
Many persons have seen apparent living pterosaurs in various parts of California.
Why have they seemed to observe what so many have assumed were extinct for
millions of years? For one thing, at least two species of these featherless flying
creatures are very much alive.
Many of these large flying animals are unlike the one that was seen in the Anza-
Borrego State Park in Southern California, for they have long tails. In addition,
many sightings are not in or near any desert.
In fact, many sightings of apparent living pterosaurs come from Los Angeles County,
even a few of them from the city of Los Angeles. In general, those sightings are over
or near storm channels or at least not very far from one of those channels.
Two sightings have been reported from the same backyard in the city of Lakewood,
California. Those two encounters, however, were in different years and with different
eyewitnesses. In both cases, the “dragon” (or “pterodactyl”) was near a storm channel.
copyright 2009-2017 Jonathan Whitcomb
Read many other sighting reports in the nonfiction book LIve Pterosaurs
in America. The second chapter ("California Sightings") has a report of a
giant long-tailed pterosaur flying over a road near the University of
California at Irvine. The eyewitness descriptions suggest that this is a
different kind of animal, not the same species as the one seen in the
Anza Borrago State Park in 1991. The one seen near the university
(2007) was like a giant Rhamphorhynchoid; the one seen in the desert
was like a big (no-tail) Pterodactyloid. [sighting by SNW, an anonymous
eyewitness]
Live Pterosaurs in America
“Pterodactyl” Sighting in a California Desert
This report of an encounter in the Anza-Borrego Desert
State Park is found in the second chapter of the book
Live Pterosaurs in America, third edition,
by Jonathan David Whitcomb
Eyewitness Account of a Pterosaur
Sighting in a Desert
“Dear Mr. Whitcomb [email of June 25, 2007]
“I have been haunted for close to twenty years by what I saw
in the desert. I have never told anyone due to the fact that I
was afraid I would be thought nuts. [The other eyewitness]
was in the public eye and did not want to be ridiculed. Any-
way I can’t tell you what a relief it is to know I am not alone. . . .”
Q: What desert was this?
A: The [Anza-Borrego] State Park. We did four-wheel-drive
everywhere we went in the three days we were out there. We
would pack our provisions and head out at dawn and would
not return to base until close to sundown. I wasn’t the driver
and I had never been out there before so I will do the best I
can to recall. I do remember traveling in the Badlands. . . .
I also recall Henderson Canyon Trail. I remember this be-
cause we checked out Peg Leg Smith’s Historical Marker. . . .
The day we saw the animal I believe we were somewhere
between Old Kane Springs and the Badlands. [anonymous
companion] I was with got rather [freaked out from] the
creature and wanted to go back to base. I believe we left for
home the following morning.
Q: What time of year was it?
A: It was approximately 16 years ago [1991] that I had the
sighting but I’ll dig deep. To the best of my recollection it was
in the spring . . . I am not sure. . . . it was not in the summer.
I don’t do well in the heat.
Q: What time of day was it?
A: Late afternoon, almost sundown.
Q: How well did you see the form or shape of the creature?
A: Well enough to remember some details and to never forget
what I saw. We were sitting in the late afternoon shade of a
ridge, on lawn chairs, enjoying the solitude and peace and
quiet of the desert when it passed over. I caught the sight of
it with the corner of my eye and looked up. It was soaring
along the side of a plateau not far from us. We knew what it
looked like. In fact, I remember saying ‘. . . that looks just
like a Taradactyl!’ . . .
. . . it had to have been [a] lot larger than an eagle, maybe
three times larger. . . . the face . . . seemed to be narrow and
mostly beak. . . . It did not have a tail. But it did have a nub
where a tail would be.
Comments on the Sighting in the
Anza-Borrego Desert
From the author of LPA, Jonathan Whitcomb:
I found this eyewitness to be very credible, with no sign of
any mental disturbance or any indication that she may have
had any motive for being dishonest about what she told me.
This sighting in the California state park was unusual in that
the flying creature had no tail or a very short tail, unlike the
great majority of sightings of apparent pterosaurs. Neverthe-
less, over the past 14 years of examining eyewitness testimony,
I have found a significant minority of sighting reports in
which a short tail was described. I believe that a minority of
these featherless flying creatures are Pterodactyloids.
The truth about pterosaurs: Some of them live in the
United States of America, in spite of extinction dogma
Live Pterosaurs in America:
Sightings in California
Many persons have seen apparent living pterosaurs in various
parts of California. Why have they seemed to observe what so
many have assumed were extinct for millions of years? For one
thing, at least two species of these featherless flying creatures
are very much alive.
Many of these large flying animals are unlike the one that was
seen in the Anza-Borrego State Park in Southern California,
for they have long tails. In addition, many sightings are not in
or near any desert.
In fact, many sightings of apparent living pterosaurs come
from Los Angeles County, even a few of them from the city
of Los Angeles. In general, those sightings are over or near
storm channels or at least not very far from one of those
channels.
Two sightings have been reported from the same backyard
in the city of Lakewood, California. Those two encounters,
however, were in different years and with different eyewit-
nesses. In both cases, the “dragon” (or “pterodactyl”) was
near a storm channel.
Read many other sighting reports in the nonfiction book
LIve Pterosaurs in America (3rd ed). The second chapter
("California Sightings") has a report of a giant long-tailed
pterosaur flying over a road near the University of
California at Irvine. The eyewitness descriptions suggest
that this is a different kind of animal, not the same
species as the one seen in the Anza Borrago State Park
in 1991. The one seen near the university (2007) was
like a giant Rhamphorhynchoid; the one seen in the
desert was like a big (no-tail) Pterodactyloid. [sighting
by SNW, an anonymous eyewitness]
copyright 2009-2017 Jonathan Whitcomb