Although you can purchase one from a toy shop for $20 or so, drones have changed photography and filmmaking forever. Thanks to the low-price, compact design, and simplicity of the typical drone, aspiring directors have the ability to obtain aerial shots once exclusive to the producers of major motion pictures. The vast majority of the world’s drone enthusiasts are little more than hobbyists who wish to shoot some short aerial videos using their airborne camera. Some are aspiring urban explorers, determined to see what surprises await them in their hometown’s most inaccessible locations. Others are treasure hunters, convinced that the only thing standing between them and riches beyond their wildest dreams is a clear bird’s-eye view. Most of the pictures that have been captured on drones are pretty innocent if a little boring. They tend to show nothing more than some fallen branches and a couple of tree stumps, with the occasional stray frisbee or curious rabbit thrown in to spice things up. On occasion, however, drone enthusiasts have unintentionally captured photos and videos of a far more sinister nature. Those hoping to stumble upon some hidden sack of gold coins deep in a forest have instead been greeted by horrifying visuals that chilled them to their very core, as have the aforementioned urban explorers and hobbyist filmmakers. Today, we’re going to be looking at 15 of the most terrifying photos ever captured by drones, so the faint of heart should X out now. Here we go…
FIRE AT THE ASYLUM
This image was captured by an Irish drone enthusiast in July of 2017 and shows what was once St. Kevin’s Asylum engulfed in flames. The asylum, which was thankfully empty when the blaze broke out, is located in Cork City, meaning the consequences could have been far worse had the city’s fire and police departments not been there to get it under control. Of course, getting said blaze under control was no easy task, as the nearby fire hydrants couldn’t provide the water pressure necessary for a timely extinguishing and the fire actually burned through the night before it finally began to slow down. By the time this picture was taken, many of the asylum’s ceilings had caved in and two-thirds of the building had been destroyed.
AFTER CHERNOBYL
When it occurred on the 26th of April,1986, the Chernobyl disaster became one of the most catastrophic events in the history of mankind and remains such today. Caused by the explosion of a reactor core during a simulated power outage, the disaster resulted in 31 direct deaths and left thousands of people with life-shortening illnesses and mutations. The city of Pripyat, where the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was located, was evacuated in the immediate aftermath of the explosion and the region remains radioactive to this day, with even the most daring of urban explorers knowing better than to risk visiting. In November of 2014, photographer Danny Cooke used a drone to gain access to Pripyat and document the effects of the disaster nearly three decades after the fact. What he saw was a deeply disturbing portrait of the dangers of nuclear power; crumbled buildings, rusted swing sets, and long-abandoned carnival rides seemingly frozen in a moment that the whole world would like to forget.
AUSCHWITZ FROM ABOVE
World War II was fought by the Allies to bring down the oppressive regime the Third Reich and force an end to the persecution and senseless killing of Jews and other minorities across Europe. While democracy ruled the day and the Allies came out on the winning end, Adolf Hitler and his band of vile bigots managed to kill some six million Jews during the Holocaust. The majority of these killings took place in concentration camps established by the Nazis, many of which are still standing today. Auschwitz concentration camp, located in the Polish town of the same name, is perhaps the most infamous of all Nazi concentration camps. Those who were held captive within its walls were subjected to horrifyingly cruel treatment until they were either put to death by Nazi officers or died of starvation and exhaustion. This image, captured by a drone in 2015, shows a bird’s-eye view of what is left of the concentration camp. From above, we are shown the rows of decrepit cells and laboratories, within which some of the most heinous and inhumane acts of the 20th century took place.
A BEHEADING
Sharia law is notoriously harsh and insists on astonishingly violent punishments for the smallest of misdeeds. In fact, many of the supposed crimes for which one can be put to death while living under Sharia law are not even illegal in most western countries. This image comes from a drone that was used by an Anbar arm of the terrorist group ISIS to film the execution of a man they deemed to be guilty of “insulting Allah”. The death penalty is barbaric even when carried out by injection (as it is in many areas of the United States), but the execution shown in this picture is particularly brutal. The blindfolded blasphemer kneels with his hands tied and his head on a literal chopping block while the assigned executioner holds a machete aloft, waiting for the signal to bring it down in a terrifying display of the consequences of fanatical devotion to one’s religion.
UFO IN FLIGHT
California’s Silicon Valley is arguably the number one location for tech businesses in the world and is a popular destination among industry juggernauts and start-up companies alike. With Apple Inc., Adobe Systems, and Amazon all operating out of the region, it is no exaggeration to say that what happens in Silicon Valley seriously impacts the rest of the world and influences the evolution of humankind. I suppose it only makes sense, then, that extraterrestrials would want to explore the area for themselves when visiting Earth. This image was captured by a Californian drone operator in 2015 and appears to show an alien spacecraft traveling through the sky above Silicon Valley. According to ufologists and scientists who examined the video from which this screenshot was taken, the unidentified flying object jolts across the sky with such great speed that it could only be matched by a supersonic jet.
BIG FOOTAGE
Few creatures within the world of cryptozoology have managed to captivate the mainstream media quite like Bigfoot (or Sasquatch, if that’s your preferred term). For decades now, shaky-handed hunters have been reporting unexpected encounters with Bigfoot in the wilderness of Middle America. Some have even attempted to prove the existence of the beast by capturing it on camera, though the footage is almost always too grainy to be of any scientific use. This image was captured by a wildlife fanatic in Idaho, who was using his drone to search for animals in a forest near his home. Rather than seeing the usual elk and deer, the camera operator captured footage of what looks to be a bipedal creature, covered in hair and strolling confidently towards a cluster of trees. While the image is indeed unsettling, it is, unfortunately, not clear enough to conclusively prove the existence of Bigfoot.
Flying Sting Ray
What an amazing and startling image! This stingray looks like one of the ships from Star Wars, Just as scary too!
Active Volcano
There’s just something about lava that makes me nervous. Oh, maybe it’s the fact that it could melt me away in seconds! I’d day however far away this drone is as close as anyone needs to get.
Low Flying Airplane
Wow, this airplane is getting a bit too close for comfort for my liking. Or maybe this parking lot is just too darn close to the runway. Talk about poor planning.
Shark for Lunch
Truly a powerful image. This lucky drone pilot caught a killer whale enjoying a delicious great white shark for lunch. The food chain really is something else!
Oceanside Spaceship
I never knew that NASA transports spaceships over water, but I guess they do! This one scares me just because that thing cost so much money! I bet a lot of people were crossing their fingers it didn’t fall into the ocean!
Where Planes Go To Die
Check out this creepy airplane graveyard in Arizona. Countless military airplanes end up here after they are taken out of service. This restricted area is rarely seen but often fantasized about.
Giant Stuffed Bunny
A drone was flying through the Alps recently and came across this very disturbing stuffed bunny that is 200 feet tall. The weirdest part of this is that this bunny was found high up in the Alps, so who knows why or how it got there. The owners must be into strange art or at the least have a giant baby.
Floating
This beachgoer was spotted floating in this man-made swimming pool that is built into the ocean. It looks pretty dramatic from above with the crashing waves etc. She seems at peace, which makes me jealous.
The Kraken Hole
This photograph was taken while the drone was flying over Lake Berryessa in Napa County, the Monticello Dam. This is during the time of April, where rainfall was most abundant and thus filling up the lake so full that it overspilled into the well, making it seem like there is a mysterious hole of infinite depths in a body of water. Its as if the Kraken could come out of that hole at any moment. Truly frightening, if one did not know it was actually just a well.
Figure Built Out Of Stones
In the English countryside, we found this creepy figure constructed out of large stones that have been around for more than 3,000 years. Why would they build this structure if no one could possibly see it back then? They must have been speaking to the gods or aliens.
Get Out Of The Water
These kinds of drone images will never not scare the heck out of me. In fact, I think I’ll just never swim in the ocean ever again. Better safe than sorry!
Poor Cow
This image was taken by a drone right after this terrifying alligator snagged himself a cow. Alligators are powerful animals that are not to be messed with. I feel sorry for this cow, but what an amazing shot!
Under Attack!
This rare image was captured on a mountainside right next to the ocean. It seems like the drone might’ve seriously startled these seagulls and started to attack the man and the drone.
Giant Bird’s Nest
This what appears to be a giant bird’s nest rested on top of an electric line utility pole. This is probably one of the biggest bird’s nest ever built by these tiny birds in this general area. Kinda creepy if you didn’t know what it was at first glance.
The Kraken Hole (AERIAL VIEW)
Here’s another look at the Kraken Hole (some call it the “Glory Hole” of the earth) from a bird’s eye point of view. It truly looks like a terrifying bottomless pit that will drain anything around it.
Ocean Life
