While swimming in the morning yesterday. I noted that half the pool is painted to appear like the colour of the sand and the other half is painted to appear like the standard sky blue colour right?

While in the shallow end I splashed the surface of the water and noted that the ripples appears like blue dye had been poured into the water. I repeated the exercise several times.

Is the illusion due to light reflecting off the surface from above or a side view of the blue side of the pool?

To give an idea of the appearance if I were to take an eye dropper to a solution and put drops of coloured blue that rapidly mixes and dissipates quickly in the bigger solution would give a fairly accurate example of the visual experience.

ratty one said:

While swimming in the morning yesterday. I noted that half the pool is painted to appear like the colour of the sand and the other half is painted to appear like the standard sky blue colour right?

While in the shallow end I splashed the surface of the water and noted that the ripples appears like blue dye had been poured into the water. I repeated the exercise several times.

Is the illusion due to light reflecting off the surface from above or a side view of the blue side of the pool?

To give an idea of the appearance if I were to take an eye dropper to a solution and put drops of coloured blue that rapidly mixes and dissipates quickly in the bigger solution would give a fairly accurate example of the visual experience.

Blue from the sides. Think dropping opals in water.. http://www.flickr.com/photos/67449903@N00/?details=1