The Most Expensive Sea Creatures in Animal Crossing (& How to Find Them)
In the first wave of the summer 2020 update to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players were introduced to swimming and diving and a host of new critters to find, catch, and donate or sell in the form of deep-sea creatures. These are critters, like fish, that players can catch by equipping a Wet Suit and diving to the ocean floor off the coast of their islands. The new sea creatures added some much-needed content to the game, new ways to donate to Blathers at the Museum, and a new source of bells for players looking to cash in on the duplicates they catch while building a collection.
Sea creatures announce themselves as shadows under the water that send bubbles to the surface. Different bubble speeds indicate different creatures, and players will need to catch all 40 available creatures to start to differentiate bubble patterns. Typically, bigger and rarer creatures create bigger bubbles. Players will need to be quick about diving as well, as each creature has its own swimming speed, and some can lunge away if the player scares them off. Six of the new creatures are rare and worth between 8,000 and 15,000 bells each. These are the most expensive sea creatures in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
All of the most valuable sea creatures in Animal Crossing: New Horizons are fast, often darting away with long lunges. Players will need to follow the same technique they would use with skittish bugs to catch these fast creatures.
Like other fish in the game, sea creatures are seasonal, and some, like the Spider Crab, have short seasons. Players will want to make note of these and try to catch as many as possible before they leave.
Gigas Giant Clam: 15,000 bells
The Gigas Giant Clam is by far the most valuable deep-sea creature so far. It appears as a huge shadow that moves in quick, long lunges. It is rare but active any time of day or night. In the Northern hemisphere, it is available from May through September, and in the Southern hemisphere, it is available from November through March.
Spider Crab: 12,000 bells
The Spider Crab is a rare deep-sea creature with a huge shadow. It is fast and extremely difficult to catch. Players can find it any time of day or night, but it appears most frequently during the day between 4 a.m. and 9 p.m. In the Northern hemisphere, it is available from March through the end of April. In the Southern hemisphere, it is available from September through October.
Giant Isopod: 12,000 bells
Players can find the Giant Isopod twice a day, once from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. until 4 a.m. It casts a medium shadow and moves in quick, long lunges. In the Northern hemisphere, players can catch the Giant Isopod from July through the end of October. In the Southern hemisphere, it is available from January through the end of April.
Vampire Squid: 10,000 bells
The Vampire Squid is a nocturnal sea creature available between 4 p.m. and 9 a.m. each day. It casts a medium shadow in the water and moves quickly in long lunges. In the Northern hemisphere, players can capture one from May through the end of August, and in the Southern hemisphere, they can capture it from November through the end of February.
Sea Pig: 10,000 bells
The Sea Pig is a small sea creature recognized by its small shadow. It is fast, moving in quick, long lunges. It is active during the evenings in winter months from 4 p.m. until 9 a.m. Players in the Northern hemisphere can catch the Sea Pig from November through February, while players in the Southern hemisphere can catch it from May through August.
Red King Crab: 8,000 bells
Players can find the Red King Crab any time of the day or night during its season. It casts a large shadow and moves quickly. In the Northern hemisphere, players can find it in the winter from November through March. In the Southern hemisphere, it is available from May through September.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available for the Nintendo Switch.