Sea World Refraction Pictures

 

 

As I was watching this program at Sea World San Antonio I quickly noticed the optics occuring through the tank walls.

 

Above the water is where the whale actually is: the object.

The tail shows where the image is. It seems to be disconnected because of refraction. I am looking from the right (see the guy's turned head?). The light from the whale hits and bends away from the normal (slow to fast). If you were to draw the normal (a line perpendicular to the glass), the light from the whale is coming from the left side and bends to the right.

Here's a diagram that shows the refraction.

Click on photo for larger picture.

 

  
 

Same thing.

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And now I am looking to the right.

Diagram showing the refraction.

Click on photo for larger picture.

 
 

Now here the hard one. There are only 3 whales. 1 is on the platform. 2 are below the water. I am looking to the right. The actual whales are between the two refracted images. The object (the actual whales) are below the image on the surface of the water and to the left of the image through the side of the tank.

Click on photo for larger picture.

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