Bluer Than Blue Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sea Cave

Made of limestone and dolomite, the sea cave was formed when carbon dioxide mixed with rain water to form an acid that would leach through the limestone that in turn created caves. Erosion caused by the waves of the water also has created caverns that exist all over the island.

Italy's Blue Grotto is a natural sea cave that measures approximately 50 meters long and 30 meters wide (sources vary on the exact size) - once you get inside. The "duomo", or the cathedral, of the Blue Grotto is about 14 meters tall at its highest point and it is estimated (again, numbers vary) that the depth of the water measures about 150 feet to the sandy bottom below.

It honestly is very difficult to spot the entrance to the Blue Grotto on the outside of the formation, it blends in with the terrain so well.

It has been written that while the ancient Greeks believed that the Sirens lived inside the grotto, the Romans believed it to be inhabited by water nymphs. It remained relatively undetected after Roman times. Local people believed it was an area inhabited by witches and avoided going there; it was not rediscovered until 1826.

Answer: Capri

The island of Capri was formed from limestone and dolomite. It is believed that about 250 million years ago all of Italy was covered by a shallow sea. The receding waters, as well as the subsequent plate movements, revealed the limestone underneath. Was Capri always an island? Geologists would answer a resounding "No"! In fact, there is evidence that rather exotic animals such as hippos, leopards, and hyenas once lived there when it was connected to the mainland. About 20,000 years ago, glaciers began to erode the Sorrentine Peninsula, and Capri became isolated from the mainland.

The exotic animals eventually died out, however, it is believed that both Paleolithic and Neolithic peoples occupied the area. Actually Capri is still connected to the Sorrentine peninsula - if - you go underwater for 210 feet (70 meters).

Answer: Small holes filter out all but the blue light.

The key to creating the lovely blue water is the placement of two holes which allow light to pass into the grotto. There is a small hole at the opening to the Blue Grotto; the hole underneath the opening is larger, but it is also underwater and cannot be seen from either the outside or inside of the grotto. Both holes are separated by a stone bar.

These holes work together to filter out all but the blue light. To be quite honest, once inside the Blue Grotto is so breathtakingly beautiful that I almost forgot to look for the hole at the opening, but it can be clearly seen - it looks like a small white light.

Answer: Tyrrhenian Sea

To be specific, the Tyrrhenian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea that is located on the western coast of Italy. The name came from the Greek word used to describe the ancient Etruscans who lived in the area. "Tyrrhenian" literally means "sea of the Etruscans".

The Etruscans were the people who originally built the city of Rome before it was overtaken by Latin tribes in the area. According to legend, one of their leaders was Prince Tyrrhenus, who led the Etruscans from Lydia in Asia Minor to settle in Etruria

Answer: Bay of Naples

The Bay of Naples, which is also called the Gulf of Naples, extends roughly from Naples to the Sorrentine Peninsula. There are several volcanic islands that can be seen in the Bay, including Ischia, which includes the Aragonese Castle built in 474 BC, as well as lovely scenery, and Procida, which has served as the location of several movies, such as "The Postman" (1994) and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999).

The ferry ride from Sorrento to the Blue Grotto in the Bay of Naples takes about thirty minutes.

Answer: Your hand will appear to be silver.

Honestly, by the time we entered the Blue Grotto, I had to force my mind to work, and yes, I remembered to put my hand in the water, which was very warm. The reason that anything placed in the water appears to be silver is because the object is covered with tiny bubbles that cause the light to refract in a different way. And, yes, my hand did appear to be silver and looked as if it glowed! During the time I was groping for the edge of the boat to dip my hand in the water, we enjoyed the singing of our skipper, who entertained us with his rendition of "O Sole Mio".

The entire experience only lasted about five minutes, but was well worth it!

Answer: In a rowboat

This was a bit tricky, and I was very relieved that I had been told before going how this would happen. The entrance to the Blue Grotto is only about two meters wide by one meter tall. The only way to legally enter is to hire a skipper in a small rowboat - it will only hold four people - and lay flat on your back in the bottom of the rowboat. Yes, that's right.

In fact, the skipper must also lay flat on his back to enter. There is a chain attached to the passageway, which the skipper uses to guide the rowboat through. Yikes! I'm not the adventurous type and I have to admit that it did make me nervous, but I'm glad I had the experience.

Answer: True

The answer to this is true, true, a thousand times true! Swimming in the Blue Grotto is strictly forbidden, however, that's not to say that there are not people who sneak into the grotto by swimming. There are pictures of this occurring all over the internet.

There are many boats - large and small - that are anchored off the coast of the island, and at the end of the day when the tours and boats are finished with their jobs, I have read that it is possible to sneak inside for a swim. So why is swimming forbidden? First of all, the clarity of the water is threatened when people swim in it. Also, the waters around the Blue Grotto are rather unpredictable, and it's just downright dangerous.

The rock formations - both on the inside and out - are pointed, jagged, and dangerous.

The waves can become violent at times and slam swimmers against the stone of the cave without any warning.

Answer: False

Actually, whether or not Italy's Blue Grotto is open depends on the circumstances of the weather from day to day. If the sea is not calm on any certain day, or if there are strong winds, there is not enough space to safely enter the grotto. Tourists are told that the Blue Grotto may open and close several times during the same day.

In the winter, the weather temperature can be mild enough to keep the Blue Grotto open to tourists, however, it is typical that tours are closed from November to the beginning of March.

It is recommended that during these months visitors should call the ticket office; if no one answers the phone, the grotto is closed.

Answer: Tiberius

It is known that the Emperor Tiberius swam in the Blue Grotto and even decorated it with statues of deities and used it as a temple. In fact, in the 1960s statues of Neptune and Triton were found on the Blue Grotto's floor. The discovery of statue bases also has led some to believe that more statues will eventually be uncovered. Becoming suspicious of all after the death of his son, Tiberius famously left Rome in 27 AD and lived on the island at the Villa Jovis, ruling as an Emperor-in-exile until his death ten years later.