Being a landscape photographer has allowed me to see some interesting weather events at times. While this image appears to have the sun in the sky, it was in fact taken well prior to sunrise.
The Parhelion or "mock sun" seen here, has been created by tiny atmospheric ice particles refracting the sun's rays of light back towards me.
To begin with, a vertical column of light appeared to rise from the ocean, but as the sun continued its path towards the horizon and the reflective angles changed, this perfectly shaped Parhelion formed. - Cheers, Russell