The Snapping Turtle is one of the more memorable boss encounters in DAVE THE DIVER: In the Jungle, but getting to the fight takes more legwork than the battle itself. Before you can even set eyes on this thing, you need to talk to the right villagers, locate a rare ore buried in the Lakebed Sea, and upgrade your machete. Miss any step and you're stuck staring at an impassable wall of roots.
How do you start the Snapping Turtle quest?
The mission kicks off through conversation, not exploration. You need to speak with two specific villagers before anything else unlocks.
Basu is easy to find, hanging around his home just to the right of Dave's hut along the cliff. The village chief spends most of his time in the northern part of the village, somewhere between his home and Bancho's Grill. Talk to both of them about the Snapping Turtle.
Once those conversations are done, head to the southwestern part of the village and find Sato. He's the one who actually knows where the turtle lives: on the left side of the lake, roughly 60 meters down.
How to find the Snapping Turtle's den
Dive into the lake at any time of day and head down to the third layer. Swim to the far left side and you'll eventually hit a path blocked by thick, overgrown vines. Your regular machete does nothing against them.
There's also a Giant Sturgeon patrolling near the den entrance. Don't bother fighting it. Swim directly to the roots instead, which triggers a cutscene that forces the fish away. After the cutscene, surface and report back to Sato.
Sato will point you toward the village blacksmith, Perak, who can sharpen the machete if you bring him the right material.
Where to find the Deep Sea Ore
Perak is located just north of Sato's position in the village. Talk to him and he'll tell you he needs a rare white Deep Sea Ore to do the job.
Before you dive, check your pickaxe level.
Dive back down and this time go all the way to the Lakebed Sea region. The ore sits at a depth of roughly 120 to 130 meters on the left side of the lake. The formation looks noticeably blockier than the standard mineral deposits you've been harvesting throughout the DLC. Approach it and interact to collect the piece you need.
Return to the surface and hand it over to Perak. After a short cutscene, your machete gets the upgrade it needed.
How to cut through the roots and enter the den
Swim back to the blocked entrance at the third layer, left side of the lake. Stand next to the roots and hold B on Xbox or Circle on PlayStation until Dave starts glowing blue. Release the button when the glow triggers to slash through the roots. Repeat this a few times until the path is clear.
The Snapping Turtle is waiting on the other side, and it is very large.
How to beat the Snapping Turtle boss
The shotgun is the best weapon for this fight. The Snapping Turtle's weak point is its elongated neck, and the shotgun's spread makes it straightforward to land multiple pellets on that target at once for bonus damage. After testing other weapons against this boss, nothing else matches the damage output you get from consistently hitting the neck.
Understanding the Snapping Turtle's attack patterns
The boss moves slowly, but that long neck gives it more reach than you'd expect. Here's a breakdown of every attack it uses:
The neck whip is the most dangerous move in the kit. The turtle can swing it in front and also behind itself, so don't assume one side is automatically safe. When you see the neck extend, fire a few shots and immediately move to the far side of the room.
The head slam is actually your best damage window. When the boss rears back, swim up toward the ceiling to avoid the impact. The moment the head connects with the ground, the Snapping Turtle is completely vulnerable for a few seconds. Pour everything into the neck during that window.
Target the neck for bonus damage
What happens during the shell spin phase?
Once the Snapping Turtle takes enough damage, it retreats into its shell and starts spinning. Move to the center of the room and hold your position. The turtle will sweep across the top of the screen first, then the bottom. Dodge up or down depending on which path it takes, then resume attacking the neck once it comes back out.
Quick reference: Snapping Turtle walkthrough steps
- Talk to Basu and the village chief about the Snapping Turtle.
- Find Sato in the southwestern village and get the location (left side of lake, ~60m depth).
- Dive to the third layer, swim left, and trigger the cutscene at the vine-blocked entrance.
- Surface and speak to Sato, then head to blacksmith Perak.
- Upgrade your pickaxe to at least Level 2 if needed.
- Dive to the Lakebed Sea (120-130m, left side) and mine the Deep Sea Ore.
- Return to Perak to upgrade the machete.
- Return to the den, hold B/Circle at the roots to cut through.
- Defeat the Snapping Turtle using the shotgun, targeting the neck.
- Talk to Sato after the fight to unlock him as a Bancho's Grill employee.
For everything else the In the Jungle DLC throws at you, the Dave the Diver strategy guides collection has you covered, including the complete new fish locations by depth zone and the full new recipe list for Bancho's Grill. If you want to maximize Sato's usefulness once he joins your staff, check out the villager favorite gifts guide to keep your crew happy and your restaurant running efficiently.