A strange underwater feature near the coast of Malibu in Southern California has caused fascination on the internet, mostly because of its strange shape and purported extraterrestrial origins. Sycamore Knoll is the name given to this deep-sea feature, which has been at the center of many conspiracy theories for years and is thought by some to be an alien base.
The structure is situated approximately 6.6 miles from the beach and is 2,000 feet beneath the surface of the ocean. It’s shaped like an elevated bump with a horizontal, flat top features that are too uniform for many people to believe could be natural. Its coordinates are 34° 1’23.31\”N 118° 59’45.64\”W.
How was the ‘UFO Base’ Discovered?
Initially gaining mainstream attention in 2014 through Google Earth photographs, Sycamore Knoll caught the imagination of netizens and UFO buffs alike. The building was prominently featured on the Fade to Black podcast presented by Jimmy Church, where it was termed ‘the biggest centre of UFO activity since Roswell’.
A Reddit user last year posted comments regarding the formation this year, stating, “Some call it an anomaly while others think it is an alien base. It’s estimated to be between two-and-a-half and three miles in width.”
Adding to the intrigue, some have noted that the shape now seems fuzzy on Google Earth in 2025, stoking rumors that it has been deliberately removed. Others contend it may just be the result of incomplete or flawed imaging data.
Further credibility was given to the rumor when American Congressman Tim Burchett entered the fray. “I was informed of an underwater UFO the size of a football field, traveling at hundreds of miles an hour,” he asserted, further raising eyebrows.
Eyewitness Claims Add Fuel
Eyewitness reports merely fueled public interest. A local California resident reportedly told, “It appeared like a huge, cathedral-type thing several pointed tips all burning radiantly white, straight out into the ocean. No splash, no noise… just a flash, and it vanished.”
Interest in Sycamore Knoll has picked up again over the past several months, partly due to a new release from filmmaker and UFO researcher Jeremy Corbell. In Corbell’s view, the building has similarities with objects recorded throughout the 2004 USS Nimitz event and the 2019 Navy UAP incidents, both of which took place in nearby waters.
As scientists are still researching how it was made, its genesis is unknown—leaving place for intrigue, fantasy, and more than a few conspiracy theories.
