You’re swimming. Again. Your lung capacity bar is flickering, the murky water of the San Andreas Sound is blurring your vision, and you’re wondering why on earth you’re looking for a tiny 3D model of a seashell under a bridge in the middle of nowhere.
We’ve all been there.
Collecting every GTA San Andreas oyster location is one of those completionist tasks that feels like a fever dream. There are 50 of them. Fifty. Scattered from the northern tips of Tierra Robada down to the docks of Los Santos. Most players ignore them because, honestly, the rewards seem vague at first. But if you're trying to hit that 100% completion stat or you just want to date every girlfriend in the game without them complaining about your "style," you need these things.
What Most People Get Wrong About Oysters
Most guides tell you that oysters just give you 100% lung capacity. That’s partly true, but it’s not the whole story. The real "secret" sauce of the oyster hunt is the dating mechanic.
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Usually, the girlfriends in San Andreas—Michelle, Katie, Barbara, and the rest—have very specific "types." Some like fat CJs. Some like muscular CJs. If you collect all 50 oysters, those requirements evaporate. You can be a rail-thin CJ and still date Barbara, who usually demands a high body fat percentage. Even better? If you happen to get dumped or, uh, "accidentally" eliminate a girlfriend, the oysters allow you to find them again at their original spawn point and restart the relationship. It's essentially a "get out of jail free" card for the game's social sim.
Plus, you get a $100,000 bonus. In 2004, that was a lot of money. In 2026, playing the Definitive Edition or the classic port, it’s still enough to buy every property you’ve been eyeing.
The Los Santos Circuit: Bridges and Filth
You’ll likely start in Los Santos. It’s home base. Most of the oysters here are tucked under the massive bridges connecting the city to the outskirts.
There’s one right under the bridge near Playa del Seville. It’s easy to miss because the water is shallow and gross. Don't overthink it; just dive. Then you’ve got the ones near the Ocean Docks. One is sitting right under the bow of a massive cargo ship. It’s claustrophobic. You have to swim between the hull and the pier, hoping the physics engine doesn't glitch and crush you.
One of the trickiest in this region isn't even in the ocean. It’s in the fountain at the Glen Park projects.
Yeah, that little pond in the middle of Ballas territory. You’ll probably have to engage in a drive-by just to get some peace and quiet to dive for a shell. It’s a weirdly serene moment in a high-stress neighborhood. You jump in, grab the shell, and climb out while purple shirts are screaming at you.
The Long Swim to San Fierro
San Fierro is the oyster capital of the world. Or at least it feels that way. The geography of the city—being a peninsula surrounded by San Andreas Sound and the Pacific—means you’ll be spending a lot of time in the water here.
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- The Gant Bridge: There’s one at the very base of the North support. It’s a long swim. Bring a SeaSparrow if you can find one, or just hijack a Marquis.
- Easter Basin Naval Station: This one is a nightmare. It’s located near the aircraft carrier. If you enter the water here, you get a five-star wanted level instantly. The military does not want you looking for shellfish. The pro tip? Use a SeaSparrow to fly high over the spot, jump out, dive fast, grab the oyster, and then either die or try to swim to the shore before a Hydra obliterates you.
- The Garver Bridge: Check the pylons.
The San Fierro oysters are mostly about patience. The water is deeper here than in Los Santos, so if you haven't been training your lung capacity, you might actually drown trying to reach the bottom. It’s poetic, in a way. You’re collecting oysters to get lung capacity, but you need lung capacity to get the oysters.
Badlands and the Desert: The Unexpected Spots
You wouldn't think the desert has many GTA San Andreas oyster location spots, but Rockstar loves putting water in the middle of nowhere.
Check the Sherman Dam. There’s one tucked right against the massive concrete wall. It makes you feel tiny. There’s also one in the lake near the "Big Ear" radio telescope. It’s a small, murky pool of water in a massive, dry expanse.
Then there’s the bridge at the Valle Ocultado. It’s a tiny little wooden structure, and the oyster is just sitting there in the stream. These are actually the easiest to get because there’s no traffic and no cops. It’s just you and the sound of the wind.
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Las Venturas: Glamour and Gutter Water
By the time you hit Las Venturas, you’re probably sick of the swimming animation. I get it. CJ's breaststroke is iconic but slow.
Most of the Venturas oysters are in the artificial pools. Check the moat at Come-A-Lot (the castle-themed casino). It’s shallow, bright blue, and feels ridiculous compared to the murky depths of the San Fierro bay. There’s also one at the Emerald Isle casino in the pool area.
Don't forget the one near the Kincaid Bridge. It’s technically on the way to Las Venturas from San Fierro. It’s sitting on one of the footings.
The Logistics of the Hunt
How do you actually do this without screaming? Use a SeaSparrow. It’s an amphibious helicopter. You can land it directly on the water, hop out, dive, grab the shell, and hop back in. It cuts the time in half.
If you can’t find a SeaSparrow, get a Dinghy. They spawn at the docks in San Fierro. Avoid the larger boats; they have a turning radius of a small planet and make it impossible to pinpoint the exact coordinates of the shell.
The Technical Reality
Since the release of the Definitive Edition, some players have reported that the oysters are harder to see because of the updated lighting and water effects. If you’re playing the 2021 version, the "glint" on the oyster is a bit more pronounced, but the underwater draw distance can be finicky.
If you're on the original PS2 or PC version, the oysters are basically bright white blobs. They stand out against the muddy textures of the seabed.
Actionable Steps for Your Collection Run
Stop wandering aimlessly. If you want to finish this today, follow this workflow:
- Secure a SeaSparrow: Go to the helipad at the north end of the San Fierro airport or the one near the Sherman Dam. This is your primary vehicle.
- Work Counter-Clockwise: Start at the bottom of Los Santos, move west through the Badlands, up into San Fierro, across the desert, and finish in the pools of Las Venturas. This follows the natural progression of the game's map.
- Watch the Wanted Level: For the Naval Base oyster, save your game right before you attempt it. You will likely die.
- Check Your Stats: Every time you pick one up, a notification appears: "Oysters collected: X/50." If you don't see that, you didn't get it.
- The Reward Check: Once you hit 50, head to the nearest safehouse, save, and then go visit a girlfriend you haven't impressed yet. If the "Progress" bar moves even if you're dressed like a clown or weigh 300 pounds, it worked.
Collecting every GTA San Andreas oyster location is a grind, but it’s the only way to truly "master" the game's hidden mechanics. It’s one of the few collectibles that actually changes how the world reacts to you, rather than just giving you a weapon spawn at a hideout. Get in the water, watch your oxygen, and get it done.