Sunsets – Connoisseurs of Experiences

Sunsets from Around the World

This page is devoted to the beautiful sunsets (and a few sunrises) I have had the pleasure of watching from all over the world. Before the advent of the iPhone I rarely carried a camera with me. My Canon SLR camera, although a very good camera in its own right, is simply too cumbersome and heavy to carry with me. With my iPhone, which I have with me at all times (I sometimes feel almost naked without it), I can take a photo when I come upon a nice scene. Most of the photos on this page were taken while I was on a cruise or on one of my tours to the South Pacific. For some reason some of the very best sunsets take place in the Pacific (at least in my experience). I took some photos right here in Indiana just beyond my home in Lafayette. When I see a sunset that I like, I have to find a place to pull over if I am on the road because if I wait too long, the sky changes very quickly and the photo I wanted is gone.

I included some sunset photos because of their unusual location. Most of these were in the Pacific on some tiny island like Bali, Guam or Okinawa. I included some photos because of the beautiful colors produced by the setting sun. I think the best photos are of the evening sky at nautical twilight, that period of time when the sun has already set and is 6° – 12° below the horizon. When the sun is just below the horizon but less than 6°, it is called civil twilight. This is also called the “blue hour” and it is during this period that some of the most brilliant colors can be seen. Some of the other interesting photos are of sunbursts through clouds. Some photos include stellate-like rays emanating from the sun that are not always seen by the naked eye. I have included these, too, just because they are so dramatic. It never ceases to amaze me at the wide spectrum of colors in the evening sky in the South Pacific where there is virtually no air pollution.

These photos have been cropped to suit my preference. I have also, in nearly every photograph, straightened out the horizon. I have edited out photographic artifacts that are, to my knowledge, impossible to avoid sometimes. Because the iPhone camera is so good, these photos represent exactly how I visualized the evening sky at sunset. Also, the iPhone camera takes very good low light photos so that unless it was very dark, there is very little if any blurring. When possible, I have included in the caption the location and time of year when I took these photos.

Photographic artifacts. Lens Flare is the most common artifact, appearing as circular or polygonal spots, streaks, or a general haze of light across the image. It is caused by internal reflections between the lens elements and is often difficult to avoid when the sun is in or near the frame. I did not take this photo.

Some of the most dramatic sunsets occur when the atmosphere is polluted with smog and dust. The best example I have of this phenomenon is in the photos I took while we were tied up on the Saigon River in Vietnam.

Sun rays themselves are invisible to the naked eye. What you actually see are beams of light scattering off tiny particles—such as dust, water vapor, and aerosols—suspended in the atmosphere, a phenomenon known as crepuscular rays. In essence, you are not seeing the pure light energy, but rather the path it takes as it interacts with matter in the air. This effect is especially noticeable during sunrise and sunset, or when light shines through gaps in clouds or foliage, creating defined shafts of light separated by darker, shadowed areas. Therefore, while light is constantly present, the specific beams you perceive as “rays” are an optical effect made visible by atmospheric conditions.

Except where mentioned, I took all of these photos with my iPhone, most with an iPhone 15 ProMax.

Sun rays. These are artificial and not usually seen by the naked eye

Some of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen were in the South and Western Pacific. Many of them were in the Solomon Islands (there is a map of the Solomons below) where I have spent a lot of time on my tours. Other maps will be provided as photos from other islands are shown.

The order of these photos is by image number assigned to the photo by the camera when I took them. They do not necessarily appear in chronological order.

This photo was taken while we were tied up at Naha, Okinawa aboard MS *Regatta* on November 4, 2024.

Sunset from *Regatta* tied up at Naha, Okinawa.

Sunset just off the coast of Hiroshima, Japan on November 2, 2024.

A blood-red sunset, Providence, Rhode Island. Although the red horizon is beautiful, it was the grand sweep of the feathery clouds that also caught my attention.

Off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan, October 30, 2024.

Somewhere on the North Atlantic off the coast of Nova Scotia, September 26, 2025.

Somewhere in the North Atlantic off the coast of Canada, September 24, 2025.

Off the coast of Portugal, September 16, 2025.

Somewhere in the North Pacific between the Aleutian Islands and Japan. This is a nice example of a sunburst. October 22, 2024

Off the coast of Kokiak, Alaska. The next two photos are of the evolving sunset.

The North Pacific at civil twilight also known as the “blue hour”. We are somewhere off the coast of the Aleutian Islands having sailed from Kodiak, Alaska.

Sail away from Vancouver, British Columbia.

This is actually a sunrise in the Columbia River estuary, Astoria, Oregon. Notice the subtle feathery sunburst effect and the shadow created by the tower on the right.

St. Peter’s basilica, Rome, Italy. I took this photo on September 2, 2025, my seventieth birthday.

The map below is of the Solomon Islands. Guadalcanal is the destination for several of my trips to the South Pacific. The Slot is a body of water that was named by the US Marines and US Navy as the route taken by the Japanese to fortify their garrison at Guadalcanal during the war between August 1942-February 1943. The Bilikiki cruise through the Solomons starts and ends at Guadalcanal. Some of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen were in the Solomons.

This is a sunrise as seen from the American Memorial, Hill 73, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Every August 7 my tour group participates in a sunrise ceremony here to commemorate the invasion of Guadalcanal in 1942.

Sunset behind Kolombangara, Solomon Islands on the Bilikiki cruise up the Slot, May 2025.

The Solomon Islands with Kolombangara and Plum Pudding Island inset map. Rendova is just five miles south and a little east of the southern side of Kolombangara.

Solomon Sea near the island of Rendova in the Solomons.

A beautiful orange cloud formation over Rendova. President John F. Kennedy’s PT-109 was based on Rendova in 1943. He departed from Rendova on the night of August 2, 1943 on a mission to interdict Japanese ships of the Tokyo Express when his boat was cut in two by a Japanese destroyer. Two of his crew were killed in the attack. We visited his base on this island (there is a little memorial there) and Plum Pudding Island where he and the survivors swam to after the disaster.

This and the next two photos illustrate an evolving sunset as seen from ~35,000 feet.

The Slot, Solomon Islands. I particularly like the lavender of the wispy clouds at the top of this photo

Iron Bottom Sound near the southern tip of Savo Island. I saw some of the most beautiful sunsets during my Bilikili cruise tour through the Solomon Islands in 2023 and 2025.

Savo Island, Iron Bottom Sound, Solomon Islands, as seen from the Bilikiki. There are three US Navy heavy cruisers (CVs) and one Australian CV on the bottom very near this island that were sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the early morning of August 9, 1942 in the Battle of Savo Island. It was the worse loss for the US Navy in the war.

Yeah, yeah, I know this is not a sunset photo. I wanted to show you what the Bilikiki looks like. It is an 18-passenger dive boat; it is not the Queen Mary. Valor Tours offers this tour every other year. I did this tour in 2023 and 2025. It is one of my favorite tours to lead as guide.

Sunburst somewhere in the Caribbean Sea.

Truk (Chuuk today) is a large atoll in the middle of the Pacific and is part of the Caroline Island archipelago.

Truk lagoon, during the Central Pacific Tour. I like the lavendar hue and the blue space to the right created by the clouds on the horizon.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is located in the Western Pacific north of Guam, south of Japan and north of New Guinea.

Philippines Sea from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.

Tasman Sea somewhere between Australia and New Zealand.

Iron Bottom Sound, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Bilikiki cruise.

Koror, Palau. It is easy to see why this is called the “blue hour.”

Milne Bay is located at the far eastern tip of the Papuan Peninsula of Papua New Guinea. My interest in this obscure location stems from my interest in an important battle fought here in Auguust/September 1942 between the Japanese Army and the Australian Army.

Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. I took this one a couple minutes after the previous one.

Sail away from Darwin, Australia. It is not always necessary to have the photo oriented so that the sun is setting in the center of the photo. The color contrast is striking.

“Blue Hour” over the Philippine Sea, Guam.

Guam. I like how the sunset is framed by the palm frond.

Guam. Guam actually has a very nice beach. I often refer to Agana, the capital of Guam, as Little Waikiki.

Timor Sea south of Indonesia. I liked this shot because of the setting sun spotlighting the surface the ocean.

I was quite taken by this sunset in the Timor Sea south of Indonesia (below). I took the first photo a few minutes before the sun kissed the horizon giving this brilliant green-yellow to orange sky. It also seemed to impart a green tint to the water that I usually did not see. The color of the water is generally reflective of the color of the sky.

I took the next photo just as the sun kissed the horizon. The color of sky has changed dramatically. Now, the color of the water is the more usual blue, also reflective of the color of the sky although there is still a subtle hint of green.

Bali, Indonesia. Some of the most dramatic sunsets take place just before the sun sets be it on the horizon or, as it is in this photo, just before it sets behind a building. Notice the subtle circular photographic artifact between the 4 and 6 o’clock position to the sun.

Bali, Indonesia. The brilliant orange glow beneath the sun and the clouds is likely due to air pollution. The smog, notwithstanding, produces some dramatically colorful sunsets.

Although most of the sky where the sun is setting is not visible in this photo, I wanted to capture the contrast over Waikiki Beach in Honolulu between the blue and yellow ski.

Off the coast of Kauai, Hawaiian Islands.

Bali, Indonesia. The thing that caught my attention at this sunset was the dramatic triangular shadow cast on the sky from the unusual cloud formation on the horizon in front of the setting sun. This is one of my favorite sunsets photos.

Sunset over the Saigon River through the smog. It was not so much the sunset as the beautiful reflection in the water that caught my attention. It looks like a ribbon of fire.

Hong Kong taken from the stern of MS *Regatta*.

I took this photo from our balcony. I liked the orange-red reflection on the water.

Iwo Jima. During the war, Japan was known as the Land of the Rising Sun. Iwo Jima is now part of Japan (Tokyo Prefecture) so it seems appropriate that this is a setting sun over the island United States Marines took from Japan in February/March 1945. Iwo Jima here is the land of the setting sun. I can think of no better metaphor.

Philippine Sea, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. I liked the effect created by the clouds in front of the sun blocking the sun’s rays.

One of my favorite sunset photos, Sydney, Australia. I took this photo from the Sydney Opera House. The ship tied up at right is the Oceania Regatta.

Tasman Sea, off the coast of Tasmania. The reflective shine on the water surface and the ship’s wake converge on the ship’s stern.

Great Australian Bight, south of Australia. See map above.

Great Australian Bight, south of Australia.

Off the coast near Busselton, Western Australia.

Tahiti and Moorea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia, South Pacific Ocean.

Society Islands, French Polynesia. I love the dark lavender and the gradation as it gets darker higher in the sky.

A beautiful sunburst near the Society Islands, French Polynesia.

Papeete, French Polynesia. I liked the pale lavender color in this late sunset from Oceania *Regatta*.

Papeete, French Polynesia. I was particularly taken with the palette of colors in this sunset.

French Polynesia. I like the color difference on the water surface with the blue on the left and the orange on the right reflecting the color of the sky.

The Torres Strait is located north of the tip of the York Peninsula and south of Papua New Guinea. There are several little islands in the strait. We visited one of these islands, Thursday Island. It was fortified with anti-aircraft guns by the Australian Army during World War II.

Off the coast of Thursday Island, Torres Strait.

Me standing on Deck 10, Oceania *Regatta*, where we are tied up in Bali with the sun setting in the distance with my excellent iPhone 15 ProMax camera/phone and my trusty binoculars. I do not go on a cruise without them. They come in handy when looking for the Green Flash. Do I look relaxed or what? A cruise will do this to you.

Somewhere in the Coral Sea as seen from our balcony.

Perth, Western Australia, just before sunset.

The same scene as above two minutes later just after sunset. The sky appears to be on fire.

Off the coast of Broome, Western Australia. This shot depicts a feathered sunburst.

The next six photos taken a few days after the one above depict an evolving sunset off the coast of Western Australia south of Broome. The first three appear to be similar as do the next three, but I have included all since there is a subtle difference between them. Can you find the moon?

I took this photo at 6:04 p.m., November 27, 2022.

6:31 p.m., November 27, 2022. In this and the two above it appears to me that the sky is on fire.

Somewhere in the Indian Ocean west of Australia, November 26, 2022.

Indian Ocean west of Australia, November 22, 2022.

Java Sea with Singapore in the distance.

Penumpang, Java, Indonesia. I like the reflection on the water.

This is sorta the same scene as the one above. I like the gentle ripple and wake of the little boat disrupting the reflected light.

Tied up at Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Again, I like the stark difference between the yellow-orange on the left contrasted with the deepening blue on the right.

South Pacific Ocean off the coast of Fiji.

South Pacific Ocean off the coast of Fiji. This photo was taken about twenty minutes after the one above it. This illustrates how quickly the colors change as the sun sets. I have learned not to wait. If there is a particular photo I want, I take it right away because if I do not, the scene changes within minutes.

South Pacific off the coast of Fiji. I usually do not take landscape or seascape photos in the portrait mode but it seemed appropriate in this scene with this beautiful color gradation and the moon. I could not resist.

I liked this one for the unusual red tint to the ocean surface. This is somewhere in the Caribbean.

Somewhere in the Eastern Caribbean. I like this one for the sunburst and the spotlit surface.

Somewhere along US 52 between Lafayette and Indianapolis, Indiana. Not all of the pretty sunsets occur in the South Pacific.

On August 17, 2023, I hiked to the summit of Mt. Fuji. This sunset is from the high camp where my guide and I spent the night 11,778 feet ASL.

A beautiful sunrise from just below the summit. At this point I knew we had to hustle to get to the summit before the sunrise. You can see the lights of the city through the clouds. The time is 4:10 a.m.

We have reached the crater rim at the summit (although not the highest point on the mountain) just before sunrise. 4:55 a.m.

The sun is just beginning to make its appearance at the horizon. 5:00 a.m.

On my way home I was seated on the port (left) side of the plane and was very pleased to not only see the summit of Mt. Fuji punched through the clouds but also to get this nice photograph just after the sun set.

Philippines Sea from Saipan. I liked the golden outline of the clouds.

The Bay Bridge, San Francisco just after sunset.

The same scene as the one before only a few minutes later.

Lafayette is located about half way between Indianapolis and Gary.

Lafayette, Indiana from Co Rd 600 East. This sunset got better and better as the sun set. Unfortunately, I was not in a place where I could stop to get a good follow up photo.

Creasy Lane, Lafayette, Indiana near Caterpillar, 8:59 p.m.

Creasy Lane, Lafayette, Indiana near Caterpillar, 9:09 p.m.

Brilliant sunset as seen from Co Rd 600 East, Lafayette, Indiana, very near our home.

Somewhere along US 52 between Lafayette and Indianapolis, Indiana.

Rural Indiana. I like the blue band formed by the eclipsing cloud.

US 52 between Lafayette and Indianapolis.

Indian Ocean just south of the southern tip of India.

Somewhere in the Indian Ocean near Mauritius. Nice sun burst.

Iron Bottom Sound with Savo Island in the distance, right of center. I was helping one of my passengers back to Guadalcanal from Tulagi where he had become severely dehydrated. We got a couple IVs in him and were rehydrating him. Half way across Iron Bottom Sound the bag of saline dripped to empty and I had the boat driver stop so I could replace the bag with a second bag. We stopped the boat so I could do this and I took this photo. It is one of my favorite photos of Savo Island.

Memorial service Hill 1, Bloody Ridge, Guadalcanal, for my friend and mentor, John Innes. I worked seven tours with John and learned a lot about the battle of Guadalcanal from him. The Marine Corps made him – an Australian – an honorary Marine. The US Marine Corps put this memorial together with the color guard and a navy chaplain. All John’s family were present, including his widow, his two daughters and grandchildren who came on my tour in 2019. John passed away on September 1, 2018. We had a very solemn ceremony here then his family scattered John’s ashes all around the slopes of Hill 1, Bloody Ridge on August 7, 2019. To us it was a very appropriate time and place. There is always a big ceremony at the American Memorial, Hill 73, on the morning of August 7 to commemorate the invasion of Guadalcanal by the 1st Marine Division. John always provided the military historical background of the battle during this ceremony on Hill 73. This was an appropriate place to scatter his ashes as Bloody Ridge was the icon battle of Guadalcanal. I do not know anybody who knew more about the Battle of Guadalcanal as much as John knew. Every time I return to Bloody Ridge on my tours, I walked to the edge of Hill 1 and say hello to my friend.

Sunrise from my hike to the Keyhole (~13,000 feet) on Longs Peak, Colorado, September 21, 2019.

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Hawaii. September 27, 2922, 6:20 p.m.

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Hawaii from our balcony. Notice the circular flare artifact. September 27, 2022, 6:27 p.m.

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Hawaii. Notice the secondary reflection from the notch in the clouds to the right of the primary reflection from the sun, September 27, 2022, 6:32 p.m.

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Hawaii, September 27, 2022, 6:35.

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Hawaii, September 28, 2022, 6:48.

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Hawaii, September 28, 2022, 7:26 p.m. See what a difference of about 50 minutes makes in the color of the sky.

Rabaul is located in Simpson Harbor on the most eastern end of the island of New Britain. It is surrounded by volcanoes. The Japanese took Rabaul from the Australian garrison in January 1942.

Sunrise on Iron Bottom Sound off the coast of Guadalcanal. The Florida Islands are in the distance. I have never seen the surface of the sea so red.

I will continue to add pretty sunset photos to this page. I often tell myself that I do not see how I could possibly find any sunset photos as good as the ones I already have, but the more I travel the more I keep seeing beautiful sunsets all over the world. The beauty of God’s creation is everywhere. You just have to keep looking and sometime you do not have to look any further than right out your back door. And…keep your camera close by. The sky changes by the second.

I had forgotten the following sunset photo, which I took in January 2006 during Valor Tours Hellship Memorial tour, the tour on which I met Blythe. I took this photo the evening after we dedicated the Hellships Memorial at Subic Bay.