High seas: Stunning photos show giant ship ‘floating in mid-air’ off Greek coast in bizarre optical illusion
- The Achilleas, a huge cargo ship, was seen ‘floating’ off the coast of Greece
- The image is an example of the Fata Morgana illusion
- Light bending through air of different temperatures causes the illusion
A giant ship was seen floating in the sky off the coast of Greece due to a bizarre optical illusion.
The Achilleas, a huge cargo ship, was seen ‘floating’ as it sailed on the shipping line between the Greek mainland at Kimi and Skiros, one of the many islands.
The eerie photo was taken by Greek photographer Nontas Kalogiannis and is an example of a bizarre optical illusion known as Fata Morgana.
The complex illusion, named after Morgan Le Fey from Arthurian legend, is the result of the bending of light as it passes through layers of air at different temperatures.
Bending light results in images of objects being distorted and changed for both the human eye and cameras.
The eerie photo was taken by Greek photographer Nontas Kalogiannis and is an example of a bizarre optical illusion known as Fata Morgana.
Fata Morgana illusions often result in images being inverted, but on rare occasions, when conditions are right, images can appear to be right side up, resulting in disturbing apparitions at sea.
The phenomenon has occurred in a few parts of Greece, such as the western side of Samothrace.
According to Jonathan Eyers’ 2011 book Don’t Shoot the Albatross!: Nautical Myths and Superstitions, the mirage is believed to be the source of the legend of the Flying Dutchman.
The mirage is not limited to the sea and can be responsible for many unusual sightings, including mountains that appear to float.
In March, a series of boats were spotted ‘floating in the air’ off the coast of Britain in Cornwall, Devon and Aberdeenshire as a result of the phenomenon. Pictured a ‘floating’ ship in Banff, Aberdeenshire
The Anthem of the Seas cruise ship, a 168,000-ton Royal Caribbean ship, looked like it was floating above the water
Frata Morgana is the Italian name for Morgan le Fay, the Arthurian sorceress believed to use witchcraft to conjure fairy castles used to lure sailors to their deaths.
Several ‘floating ships’ have been photographed and filmed over the years, with boats appearing to float off the coast of Britain in Cornwall, Devon and Aberdeenshire in one incident.
In another sighting, four ships appeared to float above the sea off the coast of Cyprus, forming a line just east of the southern city of Limassol.