Trivia time: 20 questions all about the sea

Time for some more Expat Living trivia! With World Oceans Day being celebrated on 8 June, we’ve prepared a quiz of 20 questions all about the seas, their creatures and the things they’ve inspired. Dive on in!

#1 In which ocean would you find the Maldives?

#2 Is coral a plant, a fungus or an animal? 

#3 Who wrote The Old Man and the Sea?

#4 What do sailors call the strong westerly winds they encounter in the southern hemisphere, generally between a latitude of 40 and 50 degrees?

#5 Orcas are the largest species of dolphin, true or false?

#6 The word SCUBA stands for “Self Contained Underwater” what?

#7 There are four films in the Ocean’s film franchise; the first was called Ocean’s Eleven; what were the next three called?

#8 Which country’s coastline is easily the longest in the world, more than double that of the second-placed country, Norway?

#9 What two words starting with “f” and “j” refer to specific types of marine debris from ships?

#10 What’s the name of the large and very salty lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west?

#11 Of the six biggest recorded waves ever to have been surfed, five have been caught at the same beach in which European country?

#12 True or false: Point Nemo is the name for a spot in the Pacific Ocean that is the farthest place on Earth from land.

#13 With a surname of Ocean, which singer had success in the 1980s with hits including “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going” and “Caribbean Queen”?

#14 Do more of the world’s oceans lie north or south of the equator?

#15 Which of the following is not the name of a sea on the Moon: Sea of Nectar, Sea of Cleverness, Sea of Champagne, Sea of Serenity? 

#16 Is an eel a fish?

#17 Starting with A, what island from Greek mythology is said to have sunk into the ocean after falling out of favour with the gods?

#18 The sun sets over the ocean in Perth, Australia: true or false?

#19 Beginning with the letters “M” and “C”, which two islands of the Mediterranean Sea are also independent nations? (Hint: not Mallorca, Corsica or Crete.)

#20 What is the two-word name for the pirate flag featuring a skull and crossbones?

Bonus

Who am I?

(If you can answer correctly on the first clue, you get 10 points, but you lose a point for each additional clue you require after that.)

• I was born in 1954 in Canada, and I currently live in New Zealand. (10)
• I’ve been married five times. (9)
• In 2010, I was named by Time magazine as one of 100 most influential people in the world. (8)
• After seeing Star Wars in 1977, I quit my job as a truck driver to try my luck in the film industry in California. (7)
• My first project was a short film about a robot battle; it was funded by money borrowed from a group of dentists. (6)
• Things got better after that. A lot better. In fact, my films have grossed US$6 billion worldwide. (5)
• What’s all this got to do with oceans? Well, in 2012, I became the first person ever to make a solo descent to Challenger Deep, the deepest known point on the Earth’s seabed. It’s more than 10km below the surface of the sea. (4)
• I’m also well known for making films set in and around water, including 1989’s The Abyss. (3)
• Though my most lucrative film to date has been Avatar, I’m best known for another ocean-themed film, Titanic. (2)
• I am James who, starting with C? (1)

All the answers!

#1 Indian
#2 Animal – it’s a marine invertebrate
#3 Ernest Hemingway
#4 The Roaring Forties
#5 True
#6 Breathing Apparatus
#7 Ocean’s Twelve, Ocean’s Thirteen, Ocean’s Eight
#8 Canada
#9 Flotsam and jetsam
#10 Dead Sea
#11 Portugal
#12 True
#13 Billy Ocean
#14 South
#15 Sea of Champagne
#16 Yes
#17 Atlantis
#18 True
#19 Malta and Cyprus
#20 Jolly Roger

Bonus:

James Cameron

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Michaela Bisset

Michaela is the youngest member of the Expat Living team and therefore the best one. She's London born but Singapore grown. Third culture kid. She’s always on the lookout for the best drinking deals and latest vegetarian bites.