Miraged Ships, Juan de Fuca

Juan de Fuca Superior Mirages

More superior mirages captured by Robert Meldrum looking from Victoria, B.C. across the Strait of Juan de Fuca towards Washington State - see earlier OPOD. “It was a very warm day, and the flood tide had brought cold water into the Strait from the Pacific, chilling the air above it and setting the stage for mirages.”

There are three images, the lower ‘real’ one topped by an inverted one. Above that is a strongly flattened third erect image. The erect, inverted, erect rule is nicely obeyed!

The 'hole in the hull' on the upper ship(s) is miraged sea between the inverted and erect images.

©Robert Meldrum, shown with permission

This image of another ship was taken less than a minute later.

"Only last week, I noticed a miraged ship’s appearance change significantly when I went from crouching (to steady my camera on a low wooden fence), to standing, a vertical change of camera position of only two feet! Holding the camera overhead furthered the change!! I had previously noticed that moving a few feet right or left on a mildly sloping sidewalk had a similar effect. Mirages can also change from one minute to the next as you watch them."