“Aquatic Birds” may be a science term—but for “Wheel of Fortune” fans, it sparked outrage.

Wednesday night’s episode of the long-running game show left fans scratching their heads and sounding off on social media after a contestant lost out on a staggering $40,000 prize. Many viewers are now wondering whether the Bonus Round puzzle was even fair.

Byron Bernard, hailing from Austin, Texas, competed against Hunter Simmons of Fullerton, California, and Melissa Ortiz from North Babylon, New York. The lighthearted Bernard charmed the audience with his quirky interests—including his habit of sitting outside during storms just to enjoy dramatic weather shifts.

“I actually went out in hail the other day at 3 a.m.,” Bernard told host Ryan Seacrest, who responded with stunned silence before jokingly asking if he planned to try it himself. “Doesn’t hail hurt?” Seacrest asked with a bemused look.

Bernard was quick off the mark, solving the first toss-up puzzle, “Inflating an Inner Tube,” and pocketing $1,000. Ortiz, a school librarian, claimed the second toss-up with “Tequila Sunrise” and took the lead with $2,000.

But Bernard quickly gained ground. After solving a puzzle and winning the night’s Prize Puzzle—“Mouth-Watering Risotto”—he snagged a vacation to Italy, pushing his total to $11,600. Meanwhile, Simmons, who started slow, didn’t find his footing until later in the game.

The three contestants each took home wins in the Triple Toss-Up round. In a rare bonus puzzle before the final, Ortiz added more to her total, and Simmons surged ahead by solving the final puzzle, “Number One Best-Seller,” ending with $12,700—just shy of Bernard’s $13,600, which was enough to advance him to the Bonus Round.

That’s where things got controversial.

With the category “Living Things,” Bernard selected the letters G, M, C, and O to add to the given R, S, T, L, N, and E. The board revealed: “_ _ _ _T_C _ _ R _ S.”

Visibly struggling, Bernard guessed words like “Pacific,” “Arctic,” and “Blast,” but none fit. When time ran out, the correct answer—“Aquatic Birds”—appeared on the board. Bernard missed out on a massive $40,000 prize but still walked away with $13,600.

The moment quickly went viral on YouTube and social media, where fans didn’t hold back.

“Aquatic Birds. Where and what the hell are they?!” one frustrated viewer commented.

“Brutal. That’s way too difficult,” said another.

“Wheel of Fortune is making these puzzles way too obscure,” one fan posted. “Are they deliberately trying to trip up the contestants?”

Even longtime viewers chimed in to say the show seems to be raising the bar lately—perhaps too high. Still, Bernard kept his cool and remained in good spirits, enjoying the moment and the memories.

As always, the puzzle is up for debate—but one thing is clear: viewers aren’t staying quiet when they think the game is stacked against the players.

Would you have guessed “Aquatic Birds” in time?

Sources: TV Insider