Odd optical effect
(Not sure where to ask this, so I thought I'd try it out among those of us who get the most time to gaze out of the window...)
Was on an unpressurised VLM Fokker 50 from London City to Schipol yesterday, which meant a nice low potter across the briny on a sunny day (trying not to hum the theme to 633 Squadron). The water surface was spotted with white capped waves, and there was a visible swell. Very pretty, possibly less so if you're down there too.
Thing is, the swell appeared to be well below the white caps. The view looked like nothing so much as a shallow sea with a rippled bed and a few metres of clear water on which rode the white stuff. The illusion was so strong that I couldn't shake it, and I can't work out which visual cues I might be misinterpreting.
Has anyone else noticed this? Any ideas what's going on?
R
(I did see it on the way _in_ to Amsterdam, in case you're wondering...)