Wiki / Biomes / Starting Shallows

Starting Shallows

The safe, sunlit entry biome where every run begins — abundant basic resources and almost no predators.

Biome Data

Depth range
0–60 m
Danger
Safe
Key resources
Titanium, Quartz, Copper Ore, Edible fauna
Notable fauna
Reef Grazer (herbivore fauna)

The Starting Shallows is the tutorial biome of Subnautica 2 — bright, oxygen-friendly water seeded with the materials needed to bootstrap the entire tech tree.

What you’ll find

  • Core minerals: titanium, quartz and copper are all available within free-diving range, enough to fabricate your first tools, the Tadpole, and an opening base.
  • Food and water: schooling herbivores and harvestable flora cover early survival needs.
  • Safety: no Leviathans and effectively no aggressive fauna. This is the one biome where you can build and plan without constant threat.

Strategy

Use the Shallows as a permanent forward base location. Its safety and resource density make it the natural hub from which to push into the Coral Reef and beyond, and a good fallback when a deep run goes wrong.

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