Only 1 in 19 People Can Identify These Bodies of Water from a Photo. Can You?

By: Bri O.
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Only 1 in 19 People Can Identify These Bodies of Water from a Photo. Can You?
Image: Youtube

About This Quiz

A whopping 71 percent of the Earth's surface area is dedicated to water, and around 97 percent of that water is found in the five oceans. But oceans are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to remarkable bodies of water found across the globe. There are all sorts of weird and unique bodies of water distributed throughout all the countries and corners of the world. 

Do you know the names of the individual lakes that make up the natural wonder that is the Great Lakes water system? Are you interested in man-made waterways or convenient transportation shortcuts? Are you the type of person who geeks out over nature's beauty and water's life-giving role? How do you feel about brackish water and brine? Do you know where to go if you want to float effortlessly? 

From inland seas to landlocked lakes and gravity-defying rivers to breath-taking waterfalls, this quiz covers it all. Oh, and of course it also helps to know about the bays, gulfs, straits, canals, and channels of the world.

Are you ready to test your nautical and geographical knowledge with this ultimate bodies of water quiz? Play on to find out how you stack up! 

Lake Victoria
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Gulf of Mexico
Lake Victoria
The main reservoir of the Nile, Lake Victoria is also known as Victoria Nyanza and is the largest lake in the entire African continent. It's located primarily in Tanzania and Uganda ​but borders Kenya as well. There is only one other freshwater lake in the world that is larger than Lake Victoria.
Bering Sea
Panama Canal
Dead Sea
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is also known as the Salt Sea, and it is a landlocked saline lake (salt). Out of all the bodies of water on earth, including oceans, the Dead Sea has the lowest elevation. Its surface sits at about 1,400 feet below sea level.
Persian Gulf
Suez Canal
Taiwan Strait
Gulf of Mexico
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Lake Superior
California Bay
Panama Canal
Gulf of Mexico
This semi-landlocked body of salt water reaches the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Florida. The Gulf of Mexico is bordered by Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, Belize, and Cuba.

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Caspian Sea
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Nile River
Caspian Sea
Out of all the landlocked bodies of water in the world, the Caspian Sea is the largest one. It takes up more space than the entirety of Japan and contains nearly 1/3 of the Earth's total inland surface water.
Chesapeake Bay
Lake Malawi
Grand Prismatic Spring
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Spotted Lake
Mississippi River
Grand Prismatic Spring
Larger than a football field, the Grand Prismatic Spring is also deeper than a 10-story building. These dimensions make it the third-largest spring in the entire world.
Niagara Falls
Salar de Uyuni
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Salar de Uyuni
Located in the Altiplano region of Bolivia, Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, measuring in at more than 4,050 square miles. There is a dry season and a wet season. During the wet season, overflow from nearby lakes pools on the flats in a thin reflective layer.
Loktak Lake
Bering Sea
Black Sea

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Champagne Pool
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
North Sea
Hudson Bay
Congo River
Champagne Pool
Found in New Zealand, this remarkable pool gets its bright colors from trace amounts of antimony and arsenic in the water. The orange-colored ridge around the pool is made of fine-grained silica.
Mediterranean Sea
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Colorado River
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea separates the African and European continents and ranges from the Atlantic Ocean to Asia. It's connected to the Black Sea through the Dardanelles and the Red Sea through the Suez Canal.
Pitch Lake
Euphrates River
Lake Retba
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Eye of Quebec
South China Strait
Lake Retba
The Pink Lake of Senegal is known as Lac Rose by the locals. It's not far from the Atlantic Ocean, separated only by some dunes. It has a very high salt content comparable to the Dead Sea and, at times, exceeding it.
Niagara Falls

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Amazon River
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Cotton Castle
Amazon River
The Amazon measures at least 4,000 miles in length, which is the same distance between Rome and New York City. But, it's still not the longest river in the world, though some argue it is. It's hard to tell because of the vastness of the Amazonian basin and the various possible mountainous sources that feed it. Explorers and researchers have been conflicted over the topic for decades.
Suez Canal
Crater Lakes
Black Sea
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Nile River
Bay of Biscay
Black Sea
This relatively large inland sea is bordered by quite a few European countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania. It's connected to the Atlantic Ocean through a number of other bodies of water, including the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles, the Bosporus, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea.
Gulf of California
Gulf of California
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Gulf of California
Also known as the Sea of Cortez, this body of water is an inlet of the Pacific Ocean ranging along the northern Mexican coastline up to the Baja peninsula in California. The gulf is approximately 62,000 square surface miles in size.
Panama Canal
Spotted Lake
Caribbean Sea

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Plitvice Lakes
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Lake Michigan
Andaman Sea
Bering Sea
Plitvice Lakes
Found in Croatia, this gorgeous body of water has been formed over time by the constant flow of water over the chalk and limestone, which created and continues to create natural travertine dividers, dams, caves, lakes, and waterfalls.
Suez Canal
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Taiwan Strait
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal runs through Egypt and connects the Mediterranean and Red seas. While the Mediterranean separates the African continent and the European continent, the Suez Canal separates the African continent from the Asian continent.
Florida Straits
South China Sea
Lake Titicaca
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Lake Victoria
Lake Titicaca
Straddling the borders of Peru and Bolivia, Lake Titicaca sits 12,500 feet above sea level among the Andes Mountains. At its widest point, it reaches 50 miles across.
Congo River
Spotted Lake

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Pitch Lake
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Boiling Lake
Pitch Lake
This is definitely a lake in which you want to avoid swimming, as it's made of natural asphalt! It's found on the island of Trinidad and is an active seep, which means it's currently being fueled by a fresh subterranean crude oil seep.
Hudson Bay
East Sea
Baltic Sea
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Lake Malawi
Sea of Okhotsk
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is part of the North Atlantic Ocean and separates Scandinavia from the rest of Europe. It's the largest body of brackish water in the world. Brackish water is a combination of salt and fresh/river water.
Bay of Biscay
Lake Michigan
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Arabian Gulf
Lake Baikal
Lake Victoria
Lake Michigan
Out of the five Great Lakes, Lake Michigan is the third largest. It's also the only one sitting completely in U.S. territory. The remaining four lakes also fall within Canada.

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Manicouagan Reservoir (Eye of Quebec)
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Manicouagan Reservoir (Eye of Quebec)
The geographical landscape (crater) for this body of water was laid when a huge meteorite impacted the earth around 210 million years ago nearing the end of the Triassic period. It's believed the meteorite's impact caused toxic dust to darken the sky and lead to mass extinctions.
Victoria Waterfalls
Niagara Falls
Colorado River
Congo River
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Mississippi River
Amazon River
Congo River
The Congo begins in northern Zambia and drains into the Atlantic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It's nearly 3,000 miles long, and is the continent's second-largest river.
Taiwan Strait
Great Lakes
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Red Sea
Loktak Lake
North Sea
Great Lakes
Five distinct lakes make up the Great Lakes water system. They are: Superior, Erie, Huron, Ontario, and Michigan. Combined, the lakes have the largest freshwater surface area of the entire planet.

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English Channel
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
English Channel
This body of water separates France from England and connects to the North Sea through the Strait of Dover. The French refer to the canal as La Manche.
Taiwan Strait
Florida Straits
Panama Canal
Pamukkale Travertine Terraces (Cotton Castle)
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Niagara Falls
Pamukkale Travertine Terraces
Located in Turkey, the terraces are made of travertine, which is a form of limestone. Right next door is Hierapolis, a city with roots dating back to 190 BC.
Victoria Falls
Boiling Lake
Chesapeake Bay
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Persian Gulf
Chesapeake Bay
Virginia borders the bay's southern coast, while Maryland borders the northern coast. The bay's width ranges from three miles to 25 miles. This specific body of water has been the location of various important military battles throughout the United States' short history. It was where the British chose to invade during the War of 1812.
Euphrates River
Caribbean Sea

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Niagra Falls
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Bering Sea
Kelimutu Crater Lakes
Sea of Japan
Niagara Falls
This body of water sits between Ontario, Canada and New York state. The falls are separated into two parts, Horsehoe Falls belonging to the Canadian side and American Falls belonging to the US side.
Lake Baikal
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Lake Baikal
Found in southeastern Siberia (Russia), Lake Baikal is more than 20 million years old, making it the oldest freshwater lake on the planet. It's also the largest lake in the world when ranked according to volume.
Lake Superior
Bering Sea
Dead Sea
South China Sea
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
South China Sea
Quite a few different regions border the South China Sea, including Taiwan, the Philippines, Borneo, the Malay Peninsula, and the Asian mainland. At its deepest, in an area called the China Sea Basin, water depths can reach nearly 16,500 feet.
Gulf of Mexico
Amazon River
North Sea

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Hudson Bay
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Red Sea
Hudson Bay
This body of water is considered an inland sea and is located in east-central Canada. It connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Hudson Strait and to the Arctic Ocean through the Foxe Channel.
San Francisco Bay
Gulf of Mexico
Sea of Japan (East Sea)
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
East Sea
Also known as the Sea of Japan, this body of water is bordered by Russia, Japan, Korea, Sakhalin Island, and the Asian mainland. At its deepest, the Sea can reach 12,276 feet.
Bering Sea
Spotted Lake
Caspian Sea
North Sea
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Lake Malawi
North Sea
This body of water is found along the coast of northwest Europe between the British Isles. Many European countries border it, including Great Britain, Norway, Shetland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. It connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Dover.
Boiling Lake
Persian Gulf

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Taiwan Strait
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Taiwan Strait
At its narrowest, the Taiwan straight is 100 miles wide. It runs between the East and South China Seas and connects China to Taiwan.
Panama Canal
Suez Canal
Florida Straits
Andaman Sea
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Spotted Lake
Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea serves as an essential bridge between Myanmar and the rest of the world. Within it lies the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Red Sea
Panama Canal
Spotted Lake
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Boiling Lake
Lake Malawi
Spotted Lake
During the summer months, the sun's heat causes the lake's water to evaporate, leaving behind spots of minerals and salts among the remaining shallow pool. Outside of sources like groundwater and rainwater, this body of water has no source of fresh water coming in or going out.
Persian Gulf

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Bering Sea
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea and its accompanying strait separate the Asian continent from the North American continent. It connects to the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait and is 53 miles wide at its narrowest point.
Dead Sea
Mediterranean Sea
Caribbean Sea
Kelimutu Crater Lakes
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Victoria Falls
Mississippi River
Cotton Castle
Kelimutu Crater Lakes
This body of water is located in Flores, Indonesia, at the summit of Mount Kelimutu. The three lakes that make up the water system are constantly changing colors, ranging from black and red to green and blue.
Caribbean Sea
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Mediterranean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is bordered by and surrounds a number of different countries and islands, including Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and the Virgin Islands.
Dead Sea
Caspian Sea

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Nile River
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Amazon River
Nile River
This body of water is the longest river in the world, measuring in around 4,132 miles in length. Unlike most rivers, the Nile flows from south to north.
Congo River
Chicago River
Cano Cristales
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Caño Cristales
The Caño Cristales is a uniquely remarkable river because it undergoes natural color transformations due a native aquatic plant called the macarenia clavigera. This plant takes on different colors depending upon sunlight, water conditions, and other environmental factors.
Congo River
Mississippi River
Euphrates River
Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Black Sea
Lake Malawi
Persian Gulf
This body of water is also known as the Arabian Gulf. It's bordered by Iran, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq. It is connected to the Arabian Sea through the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
Pitch Lake

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Loktak Lake
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Lake Michigan
Logtak Lake
The largest freshwater lake innortheast India, Logtak Lake is known for the floating masses of vegetation that grow and thrive on its surface. The vegetation masses are called "phumdi."
Boiling Lake
Lake Victor
Red Sea
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Red Sea
The Red Sea ultimately connects to the Arabian Sea through the Bab el Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden. Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen border the Sea.
Dead Sea
Bering Sea
Mediterranean Sea
Lake Malawi
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Spotted Lake
Lake Erie
Lake Malawi
Commonly referred to as Lake Nyasa, this body of water is found in the African country of Malawi where it borders Tanzania and Mozambique. The lake is fed by 14 different rivers.
Great Lakes

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Colorado River
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Chicago River
Hudson River
Congo River
Colorado River
The Colorado flows through seven states, including Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado, California, and Arizona. At one point, it serves as the border between Mexico and Arizona for 17 miles.
Boiling Lake
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Lake Retba
Boiling Lake
Located in Dominica, Boiling Lake is the second-largest hot spring in the entire world. At its coasts, the water temperature can reach 197 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lake Titicaca
Spotted Lake
Panama Canal
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is only 40 miles wide. It's a man-made canal that was completed in August of 1914 in an effort to shorten trips that would otherwise take an extra 8,000 miles.
Suez Canal
Florida Straits
Taiwan Strait

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Euphrates river
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Congo River
Euphrates River
One of the two rivers that make up the Tigris-Euphrates water system, this body of water measures 1,740 miles in length. It flows through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq.
Roaring River
Nile Rier
Bay of Biscay
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Caspian Sea
Bay of Biscay
This body of water is bordered by France and Spain. It forms a triangular shape and is about 86,000 square miles in size.
Cape Cod
Bengal Bay
Mississippi River
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Congo River
Tigris River
Mississippi River
The longest river in the North American continent, the Mississippi River is about 2,340 miles in length. Its intricate tributary system connects to 31 US states.
Chicago Rover

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Victoria Waterfalls
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Chasing Waterfalls
Waterfall Glenn
Niagara Falls
Victoria Falls
Found along the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls is two times wider and two times deeper than the famed Niagara Falls. At its widest point, the falls reach across the width of the entire river.
Sea of Okhotsk
Youtube
What body of water is pictured here?
Alaskan Sea
White Sea
Sea of Okhotsk
This body of water is surrounded mostly by Russian (Siberian) territory. It spans an area of around 611,000 square miles and has a maximum depth of 11,063 feet.
Bering Sea
You Got:
/50
Youtube