You're a shark. Not just any shark, but a mutated, revenge-driven mega-predator tearing through the waters of Port Clovis. While the main quest focuses on eating your way up the food chain to hunt down Scaly Pete, a huge chunk of the game’s charm—and your progression—relies on finding Maneater the Gulf landmarks. These aren't just collectibles for the sake of a trophy. They are the key to evolving into a bio-electric or bone-armored nightmare.
The Gulf is the final area of the base game. It’s massive. It’s deep. It’s also crawling with Sperm Whales and Great Whites that want to turn you into a snack. Honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming when you first swim into the open blue. You’ve got ten landmarks to find here, and unlike the cramped sewers of Fawtick Bayou, these are scattered across a vast, vertical seafloor.
Why These Landmarks Actually Matter
Most players think landmarks are just flavor text. Trip Westhaven’s narration is hilarious, sure, but the real meat is the Evolution Materials. If you want to max out your shark, you need the Mutagens and Soul Food (Protein, Fat, Minerals) that these landmarks drop. Specifically, in The Gulf, completing the landmark set is often tied to unlocking or upgrading the Bio-Electric set or getting those precious legendary organ evolutions.
If you’re stuck at Level 20 and wondering why you can’t take down a Level 45 Sperm Whale, it’s because you haven’t explored enough. Exploration equals power. In Maneater, the Gulf landmarks act as a checklist for your final form.
Tracking Down the Gulf Landmarks
The Gulf is basically a giant circle of ocean with a few man-made structures poking out. To find these, you need to rely heavily on your Advanced Sonar. If you haven't upgraded your Sonar to Tier 5 yet, stop reading and do that now. It makes the ping radius massive, which is mandatory for the deep-sea sections.
The Deep Sea Horrors
One of the most iconic landmarks in this zone is the Sunken City. It’s creepy. Down in the abyss, you'll find ruins that look suspiciously like R'lyeh from Lovecraftian lore. Look for the glowing yellow signpost amidst the tentacles and stone pillars. It’s a direct nod to Cthulhu, and finding it gives you a massive boost in XP.
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Then there’s the Deep Sea Cable. It’s exactly what it sounds like. A giant, glowing fiber-optic line running along the trench. This one is tricky because it’s tucked into a crevice. You might swim right over it if you aren't looking down. Basically, if you see blue lights in the dark, follow them.
Corporate Greed and Easter Eggs
Maneater loves poking fun at real-world consumerism. You'll find a landmark dedicated to an underwater Garbage Patch. It’s depressing but visually distinct. Look for a dense cloud of plastic bags and crates.
Don't miss the Scurvy Pete’s Sunken Boat. It’s a bit of poetic justice. Finding the wreckage of your rival’s past failures is a nice touch. It’s located near the northern edge of the map, closer to the transition to Prosperity Sands.
The Titanic Reference
Yes, it’s there. There is a sunken luxury liner that is a clear reference to the Titanic. It’s huge. You can’t miss the hull once you’re in the right quadrant. The landmark sign is usually near the "bow" of the ship.
Strategy for 100% Completion
Don't try to find these while you have a Level 10 Bounty Hunter heat on you. It’s a nightmare. The Gulf is the most dangerous zone because of the wildlife, not just the hunters.
- Clear the Apex Predator first. Once the Apex Great White is dead, the general aggression of the area feels slightly more manageable.
- Use the Shadow Set. The Shadow Teeth provide health on every bite. Since you’ll be fighting off aggressive Orcas while looking for landmarks, the passive healing is a lifesaver.
- The "Surface-Dive" Method. The Gulf has a lot of verticality. Swim along the surface to find the landmarks near the oil rigs and buoys, then dive straight down to the floor to ping the deep-sea ones.
Navigating the Map Vertically
The Gulf is the only area in the game where depth really plays a factor in your navigation. In the Bayou or Dead Horse Lake, you’re mostly in shallow water. Here, the "floor" is miles down.
A common mistake is staying too close to the surface. Many of the Maneater the Gulf landmarks are located at the very bottom of the trenches. If your sonar isn't picking anything up, you probably aren't deep enough. Dive until the screen gets dark and the music gets eerie. That’s where the best secrets are hidden.
Real Talk: The Grind
Let’s be real. Finding all 10 can be a chore if you’re just aimlessly swimming. Use the in-game map filters. Turn off everything except "Landmarks." This cleans up the UI and lets you see the greyed-out icons of places you’ve been near but haven't officially "found" yet.
If an icon is grey, you’ve pinged it but haven’t bitten the sign. You have to physically be within a few meters of the yellow signpost for it to count.
The Reward for Your Troubles
When you hit that 10/10 for The Gulf, you're usually rewarded with a massive infusion of Mutagen. This is the rarest resource in the game. You need it for the top-tier upgrades of your organs, like the Adrenal Gland or the Reinforced Cartilage.
Without these upgrades, the final boss fight against Pete’s specialized hunting boat is significantly harder. He uses depth charges and electric nets that will shred a basic shark. The stats you gain from the Gulf landmarks make you tanky enough to survive the onslaught.
Actionable Next Steps for Perfectionists
If you are currently staring at a map that says 9/10 landmarks found and you're losing your mind, check the very edges of the map. Developers love hiding the last one right on the border of the "Return to out of bounds" zone.
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- Check the Oil Rigs: There are multiple rigs; make sure you’ve circled the base of every single one.
- Look for the Whale Skeletons: There’s a landmark involving a massive ribcage on the seafloor that is easy to mistake for just "terrain."
- The Bridge Pillars: Near the entrance to the other zones, check the concrete supports of the massive bridges.
Go back to your Grotto, equip the Reinforced Sonar, and do one slow lap of the perimeter at maximum depth. You'll find that last signpost glowing in the dark. Once you've secured the set, you'll be one step closer to the "Queen of the Ocean" achievement and, more importantly, a shark that can eat a boat in three bites.