This is just a dog-whistle for racism, right? Barely even a dog-whistle. Making fun of a name because it's not european is pretty blatantly racist.

I'm pretty sure this is not the type of mirage you linked (which would be above the real horizon) but rather one that is below the real horizon. That is, the ship is seen above the real horizon, but the water near the horizon is hidden by a mirage of the sky. You can faintly make out the real horizon, as well.