Within Infrared
Did the Puerto Rico object enter the water?
The Aguadilla infrared case shows how drifting objects, sensor geometry and water reflections can create a dramatic transmedium impression.
On this page
- Why the video looked transmedium
- How path reconstruction changed the interpretation
- Why two lanterns can look like one strange object
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Introduction
The 2013 Aguadilla infrared video from Puerto Rico is often presented as one of the strongest cases for a “transmedium” unidentified object: something that appeared to fly through the air, enter the ocean, emerge again, and then split into two. For years, supporters of the case argued that the thermal footage recorded by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft showed behaviour beyond known aircraft capabilities. A detailed reconstruction of the event, however, has become a key example of how infrared imagery, viewing geometry and motion perception can create a dramatic but misleading impression. According to later analyses, including a formal review by the U.S. Department of Defense’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), the objects did not enter the water, did not split in flight, and did not exhibit extraordinary speed. Instead, the apparent anomalies can be explained through sensor perspective, thermal-imaging limitations and the presence of two closely spaced drifting objects. [AARO]aaro.milAAROAARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionMarch 19, 2025 — 20 Mar 2025 — AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhib…
Did the Puerto Rico object enter the water?
The central claim that made the Aguadilla footage famous was the apparent transition from air to sea and back again. In the thermal video, the object seems to approach the coastline, disappear into the water, reappear, and later separate into two parts before vanishing.
Early analyses by researchers associated with the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU) interpreted the footage as showing exactly this sequence. Their reconstruction argued that the object travelled at significant speed, crossed both land and water, entered the ocean with little visible disturbance, and later split into two similarly sized objects. [Zenodo]zenodo.orgZenodo2013 Aguadilla Puerto Rico UAP: The detailed analysis of…Aug 6, 2015 — The object enters the water toward the end of the video w…
The difficulty is that infrared imagery does not directly show physical contact with water. It shows differences in thermal contrast. If an object’s temperature signature becomes similar to the background, the object can fade or disappear from the sensor display even though it remains visible in ordinary light. AARO concluded that the apparent water entry was an artefact of thermal imaging rather than a genuine transition into the ocean. As the objects moved against the cooler sea background, their infrared contrast diminished until the sensor could no longer distinguish them. The apparent “exit” from the water was therefore not evidence of underwater travel but a change in thermal visibility. [AARO]aaro.milAAROAARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionMarch 19, 2025 — 20 Mar 2025 — AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhib…
This interpretation matters because the transmedium claim was one of the strongest arguments that the footage depicted something extraordinary. If the object never entered the water, the most unusual aspect of the case largely disappears.
Why the video looked transmedium
Several factors combined to create the impression of an object performing impossible manoeuvres.
First, the recording was made from a moving aircraft carrying a stabilised infrared camera. The aircraft was circling and climbing while tracking the target. In such situations, apparent motion on the screen does not directly correspond to the target’s real speed. Nearby or slowly moving objects can appear to race across the landscape because of parallax, the same visual effect that makes roadside objects seem to move rapidly past a car window. [AARO]aaro.milAAROAARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionMarch 19, 2025 — 20 Mar 2025 — AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhib…
Second, the sensor’s perspective changed continuously throughout the encounter. As the aircraft gained altitude, the viewing angle shifted from a relatively shallow side-on perspective to a steeper, more top-down view. Objects that appear merged from one angle can become visibly separated from another. AARO’s reconstruction concluded that this changing geometry strongly influenced how observers interpreted the footage. [AARO]aaro.milAAROAARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionMarch 19, 2025 — 20 Mar 2025 — AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhib…
Third, infrared imagery removes many familiar visual cues. There are no visible colours, surface textures or conventional depth references. A small drifting object can therefore appear much larger and more unusual than it really is, particularly when viewed through a narrow field of view and digital zoom. [Skeptical Inquirer]skepticalinquirer.orgSkeptical Inquirer Quick Guide to Modern Video Analysis Techniques for UAPSkeptical InquirerQuick Guide to Modern Video Analysis Techniques for UAP…December 30, 2024 — Here, I will give a brief overview of so…
Taken together, these factors created a sequence that looked far more dramatic than the reconstructed flight path suggested.
How path reconstruction changed the interpretation
The turning point in the Aguadilla debate was the effort to reconstruct the aircraft’s position, camera orientation and line of sight throughout the recording.
AARO reported that investigators combined aircraft telemetry with sensor parameters such as azimuth, elevation and viewing angle to model where the objects would have been relative to the ground. The resulting reconstruction placed the objects over land for the duration of the encounter rather than moving into the ocean. Their calculated movement was consistent with drift at approximately wind speed rather than high-performance flight. [AARO]aaro.milAAROAARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionMarch 19, 2025 — 20 Mar 2025 — AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhib…
The reconstruction also addressed the apparent high velocity that had impressed many viewers. According to AARO, the objects travelled at roughly 3.6 metres per second (about 8 mph), closely matching local wind conditions. Their seemingly rapid movement across the screen resulted from motion parallax produced by the aircraft’s own movement, the camera zoom level and changing geometry between observer and target. [AARO]aaro.milAAROAARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionMarch 19, 2025 — 20 Mar 2025 — AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhib…
This conclusion places the Aguadilla case firmly within a broader pattern seen in infrared UFO reports: without accurate range and geometry data, apparent speed can be dramatically overestimated.
Why two lanterns can look like one strange object
Another famous feature of the video is the apparent moment when a single object divides into two.
Supporters of the anomalous interpretation viewed this as evidence of replication, splitting or some other unusual capability. However, later analyses argued that the footage showed two objects from the beginning. Because they were travelling close together and were unresolved by the infrared sensor at certain ranges and viewing angles, they often appeared as a single thermal blob. [AARO]aaro.milAAROAARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionMarch 19, 2025 — 20 Mar 2025 — AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhib…
AARO identified several moments early in the recording where the two objects can already be seen separating briefly before merging again from the camera’s perspective. As the aircraft climbed and the viewing angle became steeper, the separation became increasingly obvious, creating the impression that one object had divided into two when the pair had actually been present all along. [AARO]aaro.milAAROAARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionMarch 19, 2025 — 20 Mar 2025 — AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhib…
The office further assessed, with moderate confidence, that the objects were likely sky lanterns. Investigators reported that lantern releases were common in the area and found that the estimated size, wind-driven movement and fluctuating thermal signatures were consistent with lantern behaviour. They stopped short of claiming certainty because the video quality was insufficient for definitive identification. [AARO]aaro.milAAROAARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionMarch 19, 2025 — 20 Mar 2025 — AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhib…
The lantern hypothesis remains disputed by some researchers, but even critics generally acknowledge that the apparent split can be explained by the changing visibility of two nearby objects rather than requiring a single craft to duplicate itself. [altpropulsion.com]altpropulsion.comaguadilla uap sighting analysis2 May 2025 — Rich Hoffman details an investigation into a remarkable UAP sighting captured on video by over Aguadilla, Puerto Rico on Apr…
What the Aguadilla case demonstrates about infrared UFO footage
The Puerto Rico infrared video remains important not because it conclusively proves a mundane explanation, but because it illustrates how easily thermal imagery can generate misleading impressions of speed, altitude and behaviour.
For years, the strongest claims associated with the footage were that the object moved extraordinarily fast, entered and exited the ocean, and split into two. Later reconstructions challenged all three points. The apparent speed was largely a parallax effect. The apparent water entry was a loss of thermal contrast. The apparent splitting was consistent with two closely spaced objects becoming distinguishable as the viewing geometry changed. [AARO]aaro.milAAROAARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionMarch 19, 2025 — 20 Mar 2025 — AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhib… DVIDS Within the study of identified flying objects and UFO misperceptions [dvidshub.net]dvidshub.netPuerto Rico ObjectsNov 19, 2024 — The footage appears to depict a UAP moving at high speed, splitting into two objects, and entering and…, Aguadilla has become a useful cautionary case. It demonstrates that a dramatic infrared video can appear to show impossible performance while still being explainable through ordinary objects, sensor limitations and observational geometry. The lesson is not that every unusual infrared recording has a simple answer, but that claims of transmedium behaviour require careful reconstruction before the imagery itself can be taken at face value. [AARO]aaro.milAAROAARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionMarch 19, 2025 — 20 Mar 2025 — AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhib…
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Endnotes
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Source: aaro.mil
Link: https://www.aaro.mil/Portals/136/PDFs/case_resolution_reports/AARO_Puerto_Rico_UAP_Case_Resolution.pdfSource snippet
AAROAARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionMarch 19, 2025 — 20 Mar 2025 — AARO assesses with high confidence1 that the objects did not exhib...
Published: March 19, 2025
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Source: dvidshub.net
Link: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/944204/puerto-rico-objectsSource snippet
Puerto Rico ObjectsNov 19, 2024 — The footage appears to depict a UAP moving at high speed, splitting into two objects, and entering and...
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Source: zenodo.org
Link: https://zenodo.org/records/7844175Source snippet
Zenodo2013 Aguadilla Puerto Rico UAP: The detailed analysis of...Aug 6, 2015 — The object enters the water toward the end of the video w...
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Source: altpropulsion.com
Title: aguadilla uap sighting analysis
Link: https://www.altpropulsion.com/aguadilla-uap-sighting-analysis/Source snippet
2 May 2025 — Rich Hoffman details an investigation into a remarkable UAP sighting captured on video by over Aguadilla, Puerto Rico on Apr...
Published: May 2025
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Source: dvidshub.net
Link: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/955936/2013-puerto-rico-object-reconstructionSource snippet
Video - 2013 Puerto Rico Object ReconstructionThis video shows a Systems Toolkit digital reconstruction of "The Puerto Rico Object" unide...
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Source: skepticalinquirer.org
Title: Skeptical Inquirer Quick Guide to Modern Video Analysis Techniques for UAP
Link: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2024/12/quick-guide-to-modern-video-analysis-techniques-for-uap-and-ufos/Source snippet
Skeptical InquirerQuick Guide to Modern Video Analysis Techniques for UAP...December 30, 2024 — Here, I will give a brief overview of so...
Published: December 30, 2024
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Source: academia.edu
Title: 2013 Aguadilla Puerto Rico
Link: https://www.academia.edu/40212895/2013_Aguadilla_Puerto_RicoSource snippet
Report on a case in Aguadilla Puerto Rico from 2013 of a leaked Homeland Security thermal imaging video showing an object that a Customs...
Additional References
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/KSEE24/posts/scientists-whove-analyzed-thermal-images-of-a-flying-object-recorded-in-puerto-r/10158608823129927/Source snippet
Scientists who've analyzed thermal images of a flying...AARO's analysis of the infrared video taken of a UAP at the Rafael Hernández Air...
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Source: europeafrica.army.mil
Link: https://www.europeafrica.army.mil/VideoPlayer/?videoid=955936Source snippet
PlayerThis video shows a Systems Toolkit digital reconstruction of "The Puerto Rico Object" unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) event...
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Source: facebook.com
Title: the video caught by an infrared camera aboard the platform in 2013 was reported
Link: https://www.facebook.com/WDTV5News/posts/the-video-caught-by-an-infrared-camera-aboard-the-platform-in-2013-was-reported-/1401468618694557/Source snippet
"The video, caught by an infrared camera aboard...Strange UFO sighting recorded in Earth Orbit-video [https://www.latest-ufos.com/2016/05/..."](https://www.latest-ufos.com/2016/05/...")...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuSZDrBDgb8Source snippet
UFO FILES: FOIA VIDEO RELEASE of the 'Aguadilla UAP' in...An Intelligence Community partner's reconstruction of the flight path and look...
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Source: theguardian.com
Title: The Guardian I study UFOs – and I don’t believe the alien hype
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/11/i-study-ufos-and-i-dont-believe-the-alien-hype-heres-whySource snippet
Here's why11 Jun 2021 — As with the Chilean case, we are shown blurry video from military-grade infrared cameras as highly compelling evi...
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Source: defensescoop.com
Title: uap aaro findings go fast puerto rico mt etna objects
Link: https://defensescoop.com/2024/11/19/uap-aaro-findings-go-fast-puerto-rico-mt-etna-objects/Source snippet
Pentagon's UAP office reviews findings on Go Fast, Puerto...19 Nov 2024 — The head of the Defense Department's All-Domain Anomaly Resolu...
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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/a41d822643c8faf3a4ebce168b1d1f92Source snippet
Jon T. Kosloski, head of the Pentagon's UFO investigation office, detailed several anomalous UFO sightings that remain unexplained during...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/1081dpq/one_of_the_strangest_and_most_compelling_uap/Source snippet
Security officers from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico when object...Read more...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: the 2013 aguadilla ufo incident portrayed as
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/ufo/comments/1pbjynd/the_2013_aguadilla_ufo_incident_portrayed_as/Source snippet
authentic in...The 2013 Aguadilla UFO incident portrayed as authentic in Age of Disclosure was resolved. But not the way the movie said...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/NewsNationNow/posts/ross-coulthart-sits-down-with-darcy-weir-and-david-falch-as-they-dive-into-the-2/779473011126385/Source snippet
e 2013 Aguadilla UFO sighting in Puerto Rico and discuss AARO's...
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