Dave the Diver next to a tranquilized Whitetip Reefshark.

Dave the Diver: How to Tranquilize a Shark

Catch those Zzzz's!

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Maya is a professional writer currently based in the South of England, with her niche being esports and video games. Having written for several popular websites, Maya thinks she has a trick up her sleeve for most games and is passionate about sharing them!

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Reyadh is a writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction who loves to play video games full of monsters and magic. When he's not scribing unique and unrelenting speculative fiction or slaying demons in virtual worlds, he is writing strategy guides to help others reach their gaming goals.

Key Takeaway

To tranquilize a Shark in Dave the Diver, players can use a Tranquilizer Rifle or a Modified Hush Dart. Both of these weapons can be created by Duff using the app from Dave’s smartphone and some scavenged resources from diving.

  • Tranquilizer Rifle: Basic Underwater Rifle, 3 Cuttlefish Skin Fragments, 15 Fragments, and 200 Gold
  • Modified Hush Dart: Enhanced Hush Dart II, 1 Coral Orb, 3 Vampire Squid Tentacles, 20 Topaz, and 3,400 Gold

Players can also use the Tranquilizer Harpoon Tip or the Sleepy Toy Hammer, but these two weapons can only randomly be found in supply crates underwater.

Sharks are among the deadliest undersea creatures (like crabs!) found in Dave the Diver and one of the most sought-after seafood delicacies at Bancho Sushi. Players must safely tranquilize a Shark first to catch one rated three stars in Dave the Diver. Otherwise, you’ll only get one-star or two-star variants.

Table Of Contents

    The Best Ways to Tranquilize Sharks in Dave the Diver

    A tranquilized Megamouth Shark in Dave the Diver.

    To knock out sharks and harvest their meat in Dave the Diver, players can get their hands on a Tranquilizer Rifle or Modified Hush Dart. These weapons require players to access Duff’s Weapon Shop via Dave’s smartphone. They must have upgraded the basic Rifle or Hush Dart using the Weapon’s Upgrade menu.

    Note
    Players can also use the Sleepy Toy Hammer or Tranquilizing Harpoon Tips. However, these only spawn randomly while on a dive, so you can’t consistently find them.

    Tranquilizer Rifle

    The Tranquilizer Rifle is easier to obtain than the Modified Hush Dart. To craft it, you only need a Basic Underwater Rifle, 3 Cuttlefish Skin Fragments, 15 Fragments, and 200 Gold. All of these items can be found early in the game, making it the preferred route for tranquilizing Sharks.

    You can get Cuttlefish Skin Fragments by capturing Cuttlefish, which roam in small groups of two or more. They have a low drop rate, so keep hunting these squid-like creatures until you get enough.

    This Tranquilizer Rifle has a 40% success rate with tranquilizing fish, big or small, so be patient! The Tranquilizer Rifle has an eight-round magazine capable of putting a Shark into a deep slumber eventually.

    Modified Hush Dart

    Meanwhile, the Modified Hush Dart is a late-game item. It requires an Enhanced Hush Dart II, 1 Coral Orb, 3 Vampire Squid Tentacles, 20 Topaz, and 3,400 Gold.

    The Modified Hush Dart puts large fish to sleep within two consecutive shots. As such, big fish like Sharks will head off to dreamland shortly!

    Recommended Strategy to Tranquilize a Shark in Dave the Diver

    A player aiming the Tranquilizer Rifle at a Tiger Shark.

    The Blue Hole is home to many different species of Sharks. Thresher Sharks and Whitetip Reefsharks make the Shallows their home during the day, between depths of 0 – 50m. These are ideal for early-game players looking for an easy win.

    Meanwhile, more deadly species like Megamouth Sharks and Tiger Sharks are found in the Depths and below. Choose your prey carefully, as they can put up a good fight if your reaction times aren’t quick enough. Especially when hunting the nimble and fierce Cookiecutter Shark.

    Once you encounter a Shark, you must anticipate its moves, dodge accordingly, and stay out of melee range. One wrong move and Dave will take damage, losing precious oxygen. There may also be quick-time events (QTE), so stay on guard and pay attention. From a safe distance, fire your weapon into the Shark several times, and it should fall asleep before your ammunition runs out.

    What to Do With Tranquilized Sharks

    The Underwater Drone taking away a tranquilized Tiger Shark.

    Once a Shark has been safely sedated and slumbering, players can take it to the surface using a Salvage Drone. Players can unlock this equipment during the seasonal Tuna Party event, which occurs randomly during the game’s main story. Once unlocked, players can interact with the stunned Shark to summon the Drone.

    Note
    The Drone is available once per dive. Players can upgrade it through the iDiver app on Dave’s smartphone for more uses.

    Any Shark caught with a Salvage Drone will be of three-star quality with the maximum amount of meat—perfect for the patrons of your sushi restaurant! You’ll definitely need the best staff in Dave the Diver on hand to keep up with the demands of cooking and serving.


    Combining your deep-sea diving skills and combat experience, being able to tranquilize a Shark in Dave the Diver should get easier over time. If you’ve got plenty of time to kill, maybe you’ll even get lucky and eventually snag some Shark Teeth from these apex predators!

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