The mystery of Mexico’s vast ‘Zone of Silence’ with no radio signal plagued by ‘alien’ sightings & mutated plants

SECONDS after a dazzling ball of light illuminates the sky above the vast expanse of desert, the object darts away at a “dizzying” speed and vanishes from view. The extraordinary sight is just one of many reports of unexplained glowing objects in the sky in a remote corner of northern Mexico known as the Zone of Silence. The UNESCO protected Mapimí Biosphere Reserve which contains the mysterious Zone of Silence Credit: Wikipedia The zone is bordered by the Mexican states of states of Durango, Chihuahua, and Coahuila Credit: Getty The 31-mile wide area deep in the Chihuahuan Desert has inspired many legends over the decades – drawing comparisons to the Bermuda Triangle and Area 51. Phones stop working, radio signals fail and compasses spin out of control in this desolate part of the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve, according to those who have visited the area. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Many believe the phenomena are explained by a mystery electromagnetic phenomenon caused by the metals in the desert soil. The area’s supernatural reputation first took off in 1970 when a US Air Force rocket went wildly off target and crash-landed in the desert. Visitors to the zone report that phones and other technology do not work, giving the area its name the Zone of Silence Credit: Hannah Pinkerton At the time, some believed it was due to the area’s magnetic anomalies. The area is known to be a hotspot for celestial activity, with meteorites reported to frequently come crashing down to earth in the desert. But some claim the Zone of Silence attracts more than just asteroids, with numerous reports of UFO and extraterrestrial sightings. Benjamín Marcelo Palacios Perches has lived his entire life on the edge of the zone and was born in nearby Escalón, Chihuahua. Most read in The Sun He owns a ranch that he has named “Zona del Silencio” after the famous landmark, and offers accommodation, traditional sweatlodge ceremonies, stargazing and tours into the zone for visitors. The 71-year-old frequently visits the zone and has had many mystifying experiences that he believes have no earthly explanation. He told The Sun: “I and many other visitors have observed disc-shaped objects, triangular objects, cylindrical craft, and also balls of light and fireballs that make erratic movements. “Movements that no human-made craft could perform, let alone dart away at the dizzying speeds we have witnessed. “I have had the opportunity to observe all those objects, lights and fireballs.” Benjamín Marcelo Palacios Perches, 71, has lived his whole life on the edge of the Zone of Silence Credit: Benjamín Marcelo Palacios Perches The 71-year-old has seen extraordinary things within the zone Credit: Benjamín Marcelo Palacios Perches Benjamin runs a ranch near the zone that offers tours into the desert and stargazing Credit: Benjamín Marcelo Palacios Perches Benjamín has seen disc-shaped objects, balls of light and fireballs in the desert Credit: Benjamín Marcelo Palacios Perches Benjamin said he experienced first-hand the electromagnetic anomalies associated with the zone that mean compasses and phones don’t work. He believes the area acts as a “powerful magnet attracting celestial bodies”. “I am absolutely convinced that these strange electromagnetic powers exist in the Zone of Silence – I have experienced them myself, but I am not the only one,” he said. “When I was very young, I used to hear my grandfather and his generation speak of these strange occurrences. “Now, I hear newer and newer generations – successive waves of people -continuing to speak of the same phenomena.” The Zone of Silence is widely reported to have first been coined in 1966 when Augusto Harry de la Peña, the leader of an expedition for oil company Pemex, experienced problems with his radio. Since then, thousands have visited the zone and come up with their own theories – which sceptics have dismissed as inventions to attract tourists. Some of the claims include sightings of mutant animals and plants. Among the more fantastical stories swirling around the zone are tales of encounters with tall, fair-haired beings who speak perfect Spanish and ask for water before they disappear without a trace. Experts say the real reason for the stunted signals in the area is actually due to subterranean deposits of magnetite messing with receptors. Hannah Pinkerton, an American who lives in Mexico teaching Spanish and sharing her adventures on her channel Destined for Adventure, visited the Zone of Silence last year Credit: Hannah Pinkerton Hannah camped the night in the Zone of Silence and said it lived up to its name by being very quiet Credit: Hannah Pinkerton The extremely remote and mountainous region is also responsible for the poor reception much like many isolated areas and deserts. Signal can actually be found in the Zone of Silence but only in certain areas. The supernatural claims have also been widely debunked as urban legends passed down through generations. Dr Fernando Ortega Gutierrez, a researcher at the Institute of Geology in Mexico City, said he had visited the zone and believed the electromagnetic phenomena could be explained by the soil’s composition. “Our compass did not work, giving chaotic orientations of the needle,” he said. “On examining the ground we were working at, we explained that fact, blaming itono the abundance of detrital grains of magnetite in the soils. “The mountains around the area may be rich in magnetite-rich granites or iron ores.” Travellers continue to come from around the world to witness these strange phenomena, including US digital nomad Hannah Pinkerton, who lives in Mexico teaching Spanish. She visited the Zone of Silence last year and camped the night in the desert with a tour group, in an experience she documented on her travel website Destined for Adventure. “It’s really beautiful, the sunset was really beautiful, and it was a nice camping experience – there is not a lot out there,” she said. “It’s very quiet and peaceful, there’s not a lot of trees, there’s not a lot of mountains, there’s just a lot of sand and open land.” Hannah said the Zone of Silence is not well known outside the Spanish-speaking world, but it is very well known in Mexico with friends telling her before she left that she might “see a spaceship”. She said she is “open minded and curious” about the paranormal but did not see anything out of the ordinary. “It’s a vast desert and it’s very quiet and peaceful, the radios and cell phones and things don’t work, so there is not a lot of distraction to take you away from the quietness,” she said. Benjamin agreed the remoteness and beauty of the zone – as well as its strange phenomena – is what has “captivated” him for decades. “It is a remarkable place; one feels a very special energy that recharges the body, making one feel dynamic and highly active – as if infused with a surge of energy,” he said. “That is the sensation one experiences in the Zone of Silence.” Comment now