Within Common Causes
Did the Puerto Rico UFO Really Enter the Sea?
AARO found that the famous infrared clip showed two nearby objects moving at about wind speed, not one craft diving into the sea.
On this page
- What the infrared footage appeared to show
- How flight paths and sensor angles changed the picture
- Why two objects looked like one transforming craft
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Introduction
The 2013 Puerto Rico infrared UFO video, recorded by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft near Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla, is one of the best-known examples of how camera geometry and limited depth perception can create the appearance of extraordinary flight. For years, the footage was widely interpreted as showing a single object racing across the landscape, splitting into two, entering the sea, emerging again, and finally disappearing. More recent analysis by the U.S. Department of Defense’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) reached a different conclusion: the recording is most consistent with two nearby objects moving steadily with the wind while perspective effects and infrared imaging created the illusion of dramatic manoeuvres.[AARO]aaro.milUAP ImageryAARO UAP Imagery…
Within the broader history of famous UFO reports later linked to ordinary phenomena, the Puerto Rico video stands out because it demonstrates how a technically sophisticated military-style sensor can still produce misleading impressions when range, viewing angle and object separation are poorly constrained.
What the infrared footage appeared to show
On 26 April 2013, an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft recorded an unidentified target while operating near Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The publicly circulated footage appeared to show several remarkable behaviours:
- A dark object travelling rapidly at low altitude.
- An apparent crossing from land to sea.
- A sudden split into two identical objects.
- One or both objects apparently entering and leaving the water.
- Final disappearance offshore.[DVIDS]dvidshub.netVideo - Puerto Rico Objects…
Taken at face value, these apparent actions suggested what UFO researchers often call a “transmedium” vehicle—one capable of operating seamlessly through air and water. Because infrared imagery records temperature differences rather than visible light, the video also lacked familiar visual cues such as colour, surface texture and horizon detail, making the object’s behaviour even harder to interpret.
The apparent sequence became one of the most frequently discussed military-related UFO videos outside the better-known U.S. Navy recordings.
How flight paths and sensor angles changed the picture
AARO’s reconstruction approached the incident differently. Rather than relying only on the appearance of the infrared recording, investigators reconstructed the observing aircraft’s own flight path, the sensor’s changing look angle and local wind conditions. According to AARO, these additional data fundamentally altered the interpretation of what the camera recorded.[AARO]aaro.milUAP ImageryAARO UAP Imagery…
The reconstruction found that:
- The objects followed a largely straight path instead of executing sudden accelerations.
- Their ground speed closely matched prevailing wind speed.
- The apparent high speed resulted largely from the motion of the observing aircraft combined with the sensor’s changing viewing geometry.
- The apparent dive into the ocean occurred because the infrared contrast between the objects and the water temporarily disappeared, not because the objects actually entered the sea.[AARO]aaro.milUAP ImageryAARO UAP Imagery…
This illustrates a common problem in interpreting airborne infrared footage. A camera mounted on a fast-moving aircraft continually changes its viewing angle. Without accurate distance measurements, even slow-moving targets can appear to surge sideways or accelerate dramatically against the background.
Why two objects looked like one transforming craft
Perhaps the most striking feature of the recording is the apparent moment when one object seems to divide into two.
AARO concluded that this impression is better explained by two nearby objects travelling together than by a single object physically splitting apart. An intelligence community reconstruction indicated that both objects maintained independent but closely parallel paths throughout the event. From the changing viewing angle of the aircraft’s infrared sensor, they periodically overlapped in the camera’s line of sight before separating visually.[AARO]aaro.milUAP ImageryAARO UAP Imagery…
The illusion depends on several interacting factors:
- Compressed depth cues. Infrared imagery provides little information about the distance between separate objects.
- Changing observation angle. As the aircraft turned and the sensor tracked the targets, their apparent separation continually changed.
- Limited image resolution. Small targets can merge into a single blurred thermal signature before resolving again as viewing geometry changes.
- Relative motion. When both the observing aircraft and the targets are moving, the camera records changing perspective rather than a simple overhead view.
Together, these effects can make two ordinary objects resemble one object transforming into two.
Why the object seemed to enter the sea
The apparent water entry became one of the strongest arguments for unusual behaviour before the official reconstruction.
According to AARO, however, the event can be explained by the way forward-looking infrared systems display temperature contrast. When the apparent target and the water beneath it have similar thermal characteristics, the object’s infrared signature can fade into the background. As contrast returns, the object appears to re-emerge, even though it remained airborne throughout.[AARO]aaro.milUAP ImageryAARO UAP Imagery…
This is a reminder that infrared cameras do not directly show physical outlines. They display differences in emitted or reflected thermal radiation. When those differences become small, an object can temporarily disappear from the image despite remaining continuously visible in ordinary daylight.
What remains debated
Although AARO expressed high confidence that the recording does not show anomalous flight behaviour, discussion has not completely ended.
Some independent researchers argue that the official reconstruction gives insufficient weight to other reported information, including radar observations and witness accounts associated with the incident. They contend that these additional data deserve further examination before every aspect of the case can be regarded as resolved.[UFO Transparency]ufotransparency.comUFO TransparencyAARO Aguadilla Resolution Report, March 2025, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), U.S. Department of Defense · 2…
Even so, the central finding of the official analysis is narrower than resolving every detail of the event. AARO’s principal conclusion is that the video itself does not demonstrate extraordinary acceleration, a transmedium transition or a single object dividing into two. Instead, the reconstructed geometry indicates two objects moving with the wind while perspective effects created the appearance of far more dramatic behaviour.[AARO]aaro.milUAP ImageryAARO UAP Imagery…
Why the Puerto Rico case matters
The Puerto Rico infrared video has become an important case study in UFO investigations because it demonstrates that advanced sensors are not immune to visual misinterpretation. Sophisticated infrared systems can record genuine physical events while still producing misleading impressions when distance, perspective and thermal contrast are not independently established.
Within the broader category of famous UFO reports later linked to ordinary explanations, the Aguadilla recording illustrates an important lesson: remarkable apparent motion in a video is not, by itself, evidence of remarkable object behaviour. Accurate interpretation requires reconstructing the motion of both the target and the observing platform, together with sensor characteristics and environmental conditions. In this case, that broader reconstruction substantially changed what the famous footage appears to show.[AARO]aaro.milUAP ImageryAARO UAP Imagery…
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Endnotes
1.
Source: aaro.mil
Title: UAP Imagery
Link:https://www.aaro.mil/UAP-Cases/Official-UAP-Imagery/
Source snippet
AARO UAP Imagery...
2.
Source: aaro.mil
Link:https://www.aaro.mil/Next-AARO-Home-redesign/Next-Parent/Next-AARO-UAP-Imagery-Acc-Table/
Source snippet
Next - AARO UAP Imagery Acc TableMay 8, 2026 — The footage depicts an area of contrast in the infrared sensor display, suggesting the pre...
Published: May 8, 2026
3.
Source: defense.gov
Link:https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/videoid/885190/
4.
Source: defense.gov
Link:https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Videos/videoid/885193/
5.
Source: aaro.mil
Link:https://www.aaro.mil/Next-AARO-Home-redesign/Inactive-Parent/Next-UAP-Imagery-dup/
6.
Source: aaro.mil
Link:https://www.aaro.mil/Next-AARO-Home-redesign/Next-Parent/AARO-UAP-Case-Resolution-DT/
7.
Source: aaro.mil
Link:https://www.aaro.mil/Next-AARO-Home-redesign/Next-Parent/Next-AARO-UAP-Imagery-Fixed-Table/
8.
Source: aaro.mil
Title: Next UAP Case RR Data Table
Link:https://www.aaro.mil/Next-AARO-Home-redesign/Next-Parent/Next-UAP-Case-RR-Data-Table/
9.
Source: dvidshub.net
Link:https://www.dvidshub.net/video/944204/puerto-rico-objects
Source snippet
Video - Puerto Rico Objects...
10.
Source: ufotransparency.com
Link:https://ufotransparency.com/files/decade-2020s-aaro-puerto-rico-uap-case-resolution-2025-aaro-puerto-rico-uap-case-resolution
Source snippet
UFO TransparencyAARO Aguadilla Resolution Report, March 2025, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), U.S. Department of Defense · 2...
Published: March 2025
11.
Source: ufotransparency.com
Link:https://ufotransparency.com/files/decade-2020s-aaro-case-resolution-reports-2023-2025-aaro-puerto-rico-uap-case-resolution
12.
Source: dvidshub.net
Title: DVID S
Link:https://www.dvidshub.net/video/955936/2013-puerto-rico-object-reconstruction
13.
Source: ufotransparency.com
Link:https://ufotransparency.com/files/2024-11-19-aaro-sasc-case-slides-aaro-sasc-case-slides
14.
Source: ufotransparency.com
Link:https://ufotransparency.com/files/decade-2020s-aaro-website-launch-case-resolutions-2023-aaro-puerto-rico-uap-case-resolution
Additional References
15.
Source: ufopress.com
Link:https://www.ufopress.com/articles/aaro-releases-four-information-papers-on-uap-classification-satellite-flaring-se/
Source snippet
AARO Releases Four Information Papers on UAP Classification, Satellite Flaring, Sensor Distortion, and Narrative Data — UFOPressJune 29...
16.
Source: news.com.au
Title: ‘Black object’: Pentagon’s wild UFO revelation Dr
Link:https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space/very-anomalous-objects-pentagon-reveals-bizarre-ufo-sightings-under-investigation/news-story/a41d822643c8faf3a4ebce168b1d1f92
Source snippet
Jon T. Kosloski, head of the Pentagon's UFO investigation office, detailed several anomalous UFO sightings that remain unexplained during...
17.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The Proof Is Out There: 5 Mysteries That Will Stun You | History
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_q8A4khkeE
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The Truth Behind Puerto Rico's Most Famous UFO Case Revealed Thiện Thông TV · 25 views...
18.
Source: science.nasa.gov
Link:https://science.nasa.gov/uap/
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NASA ScienceFebruary 23, 2026 — Explore This Section UAP CONTENTS * NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study * Final Repor...
Published: February 23, 2026
19.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The SHOCKING Math Error Behind Viral UFO Videos | Mick West
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypfbhfEXnBo
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Aguadilla UAP Video Analysis: Is It "Smoking Gun" Footage? | Rich Hoffman...
20.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Aguadilla UAP Video Analysis: Is It “Smoking Gun” Footage? | Rich Hoffman
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmvHKAbRuFI
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Robert Powell - Limina Inaugural Symposium Day 3...
21.
Source: science.nasa.gov
Link:https://science.nasa.gov/uap/faqs/
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NASA ScienceMay 8, 2026 — Without access to an extensive set of data, it is nearly impossible to verify or explain any observation, thus...
Published: May 8, 2026
22.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Robert Powell
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfVbiKWbo6w
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The Proof Is Out There: 5 Mysteries That Will Stun You | History...
23.
Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/UAP/comments/1jpddgu
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AARO's 'Case Resolution' report for the Aquadilla 2013 CBP incident shows erratic movement by the object, and does not include rele...
24.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Limina Inaugural Symposium Day 3
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BahEq46t3Uo
Source snippet
The SHOCKING Math Error Behind Viral UFO Videos | Mick West...