Where to find megalodon - Sea of Thieves

Learn the best way to find a megalodon and ensure it doesn't swim away in Sea of Thieves, and whether or not you can summon one.

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Megalodon are one of the many random encounters players will experience in Sea of Thieves. These great beasts often pester pirates when they’re trying to get voyages done but as soon as you want to find one, they’re rarer than hen’s teeth. For those that want to hunt some giant sharks, knowing where to find megalodon is key.

Where to find megalodon

Finding megalodon in Sea of Thieves is a tricky business. The megalodon spawn randomly in the water, which means there is no single location to find them and, unfortunately, no way to summon a megalodon. In saying this, there are some general rules and guidelines would-be Captain Ahabs should keep in mind.

find megalodon sea of thieves
Megalodon can only spawn in open water. If you get too close to an island, they will swim away.

Megalodon will only spawn in open water away from land. This means if your ship is too close to an island (uncharted islands, outposts, and forts), then there is no way a meg will spawn. What this means is that players should sail in open water.

A good idea is to sail around your favorite region, circumnavigate the map, or just sail wherever the wind takes you.

sea of thieves megalodon
Take your time sailing the open water and you might just get a megalodon to spawn.

When a megalodon does spawn, it’s important to immediately raise your sails and maybe lower anchor to slow down. The idea is to keep your ship away from an island. Obviously, if you’re approaching an island, turning around and sticking to open water is the best strategy.

Megalodon behaviour

Players should also familiarize themselves with how megalodon behave. By understanding what a megalodon will do in any given circumstance, you will better be able to adapt and ensure you get the kill.

megalodon sea of thieves
megalodon sea of thieves

Firstly, megalodon will always surface off the stern of a ship. Whenever you hear the megalodon music begin, run to the aft of your vessel and peer out into the waves. This will let you see what type of megalodon spawns, which could influence your decision to fight it or try and get rid of it.

It’s also worth noting that megalodon AI can get a bit weird. If a megalodon spawns near your ship, and you’re too close to an island, it will swim away. In the event this happens, sail away from the island and into open water, this should cause the megalodon to come back.

megalodon locations sea of thieves
Attacking a megalodon as it charges has a chance of stopping its attack.

The megalodon can also be affected by nearby ships. If there is another player ship nearby, the megalodon may begin to act oddly, de-aggroing from your own ship.

There also appears to be some different behaviour depending on the type of megalodon. For example, the Crested Queen (purple) seems more skittish while the Shadowmaw (black) is hyper aggressive. This could potentially be confirmation bias.


Finding megalodon in Sea of Thieves is no easy task. While they only spawn in open water, it could be a good idea to just get on with doing voyages rather than sail around aimlessly for hours. When you do hear the megalodon music, make sure you stay away from land so that it does not disappear. And for those hoping you can summon a megalodon in Sea of Thieves as you could in the Hungering Deep, alas, you cannot. Check out the Sea of Thieves guide and walkthrough for more tips.

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler 

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