9-8-2023 (SINGAPORE) Imagine looking up at the sky and seeing a peculiar black smoke ring hovering above Sentosa. That’s exactly what happened recently, as a large smoke ring appeared and drifted over the beach, leaving beachgoers perplexed.
The unusual sight was captured in a TikTok video shared by user “danenrdnslm5” on August 7. The video, captioned “errmmm, should we start running?”, has since gained over 29,000 views as of August 8.
The video shows the smoke ring lingering in the air instead of dissipating quickly, as one would expect. It continued to drift above the heads of beachgoers, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Nuruddin Selamat, who shared the video, recounted the experience to The Straits Times. He and his friends were enjoying a picnic at Tanjong Beach in Sentosa when they noticed the smoke ring. Initially thinking it could be a swarm of bees, Nuruddin contemplated whether he should run but decided to capture the evidence on video so that others would believe him.
Curious beachgoers followed the smoke ring as it gradually faded away and disappeared after a few minutes.
Interestingly, this is not the first time such black rings have been spotted over Sentosa. On January 5, a video shared on the “Singapore Incidents” Facebook group showed a similar black ring hovering above the island. The footage was taken from HarbourFront jetty, which is located opposite Sentosa. Additionally, a video circulated on Sgag’s Facebook page in 2017, showcasing the same uncanny phenomenon.
Online users have put forth various theories to explain the appearance of these smoke rings. Some suggested that they could be caused by alien spaceships experiencing issues with their camouflage systems, birds or insects, vaping, or even a dirty camera lens. However, one plausible explanation came from a user who proposed that the rings were likely emitted from a ship’s smokestack or funnel just offshore, carried by the wind. Another theory suggests that the smoke ring could have been a result of fireworks testing from one of Sentosa’s popular shows, with Wings of Time being a probable source.
Wings of Time is a nightly light show held at Siloso Beach in Sentosa, featuring laser, fire, water effects, and fireworks. It is possible that the persistent smoke ring was created during fireworks testing for the show.
Documentaries have debunked theories suggesting extraterrestrial origins or weather anomalies as the cause of these smoke rings. Instead, they are most likely vortex rings formed by a plume of hot air rising into the atmosphere. As the plume encounters colder air, smoke may wrap around it, creating a distinct circular smoke ring. Similar smoke rings have been observed in other parts of the world, including Detroit in 2020 and Moscow in 2018. They can be generated by volcanic eruptions, chemical reactions from factories, and fireworks displays.
