A cruise liner was photographed as if it’s floating in mid-air in the latest such sighting of a bizarre optical illusion.
The Anthem of the Seas cruise liner was spotted as if hovering above the sea off the coast of Bournemouth, Dorset, on Wednesday this week.
A trick of the light made it appear suspended in the sky. The cruise vessel weighs 168,000 tonne, 347 metre long and has a capacity of 4,180.
Ryan Rushforth who lives in Bournemouth snapped it close to the city’s pier.
He said: ‘Is it me or is this boat floating? Was really, really amazing to see it in person, it looked incredible I must say.’
The floating phenomenon is known as Fata Morgana which is created when the sun heats up the atmosphere above either the land or the sea.
The warmer air sits above cold air which then causes the light from the ship to bend.
With dozens of ships sat idle off the British coast during lockdown, many have spotted the eerie floating boats in recent weeks.
The cruise industry has been shut down for months, with ships left empty with all but a skeleton crew.
At the beginning of the month, a ‘floating’ tanker was spotted off the coast of Falmouth in Cornwall. David Morris, who took the picture, said he was ‘stunned’ by what he saw.
Another floating ship has recently been seen off the north east coast of Scotland, near Banff.
