How to shoot a sunrise (or senset) over the ocean

[TheGreatGonzo]

I took these two photos as the sun was rising over the Gulf of Mexico. I took the shots because I really wanted to capture the colors. But my vantage point did not really allow for much of anything else in the shots. As a result, it seems like a lot of "nothing". Is there a good way to frame sunrise/sunset photos when you don't have anything else on the horizon or in the foreground?
Thanks,
Gonzo