Not an expert but I think you’re right. The Wikipedia page OP linked describes the phenomenon this way:
Fata Morgana mirages significantly distort the object or objects on which they are based, often such that the object is completely unrecognizable… The mirage comprises several inverted (upside down) and upright images stacked on top of one another. Fata Morgana mirages also show alternating compressed and stretched zones.
They include a pretty good example with a container ship:
Man what a blast from the past. I haven’t seen these in idk how long but my mom had these when I was growing up. I don’t even remember the stories, but those illustrations were awesome and are among some of my earliest memories of being unnerved by an art style (along with the legendary Scary Stories and the Wizard of Oz series from 1900 with the W.W. Denslow illustrations)