A close up from Michael Myers' sunset sequence at Cape Hatteras.

An inverted image of the sun's lower limb is rising out of the waves.

The 'stem' where the two images meet is noticeable reddened.

This is sometimes called a red flash and is produces in the same way as the I-Mir green flash which sometimes occurs later in these sunsets. The lower limb of the sun has a red rim and the region where the two images of this limb meet is highly magnified in the vertical direction. The result - a reddened stem or red flash.

The spikes on the 'horizon' are the fluttery edge of the mirage rather than waves.

Image ©Michael Myers, shown with permission.