Throughout the Endless Ocean series, the player has the opportunity to befriend several dolphin partners, who can then dive alongside them. There are 8 possible dolphin partners in Endless Ocean, and 11 in Endless Ocean 2.
Any currently befriended dolphin can be selected as a dive partner before diving, and while underwater, can be ridden. In Endless Ocean they are unable to be controlled, moving wherever they like at their own pace. In Endless Ocean 2, they are able to be controlled, increasing swim speed when ridden.
Dolphin partners can be trained to perform tricks, and will point out salvages and glow spots to the player. In Endless Ocean 2, they can also assist with moving large, heavy obstacles.
Endless Ocean[]
Overview[]
There are 8 befriendable species of dolphin in Endless Ocean, and though they can only have up to 3 dolphins befriended simultaneously, they are able to swap out these dolphins and choose new partners freely.
To befriend a dolphin, the player must simply find a dolphin of the species they want to befriend and unlock two pieces of information about it, either by using the Sea Whistle or a hand action. Once this has been done, upon returning to the boat, Katherine should indicate that someone is waiting by the gangplank for them. After interacting with the gangplank, the player can choose whether to keep the dolphin, and if so, they can choose a name for their new partner.
If the player chooses not to keep the dolphin, Katherine will interpret the dolphin as saying it can be found again in the same area it was before, if the player ever changes their mind. If the player interacts with a dolphin of the same species that they declined to keep as a partner, Kat will say she hopes to see the dolphin again soon, and the dolphin will appear at the gangplank after the dive is finished, providing another opportunity for befriending.
However, Katherine will not comment on the dolphin if it is interacted with during a guide request, and it will not appear at the gangplank after the dive unless the species has never done so before.
When the player is on the Gabbiano, their dolphin partners can be seen jumping out of the water at the tail of the boat.
Partner Species[]
The partner select menu, seen after going to the gangplank.
The first partner the player obtains is a bottlenose dolphin that serves as the tutorial for befriending and training dolphin partners. The player helps get the dolphin out of the Lagoon and into Coral Forest's deeper waters, and thus gains their trust. As this sequence cannot be skipped, the player will always have at least one dolphin partner throughout the game. After helping the dolphin and returning to the boat, Katherine will gives the player the Sea Whistle in order to communicate with the newly befriended dolphin.
After this dolphin tutorial, five species of dolphin are able to be befriended without any pre-requisites. They are the:
- Short-beaked common dolphin, found at Dolphin Rock
- Pacific white-sided dolphin, found at Entryway Slope
- Commerson's dolphin, found around B-7 behind Mo'ia Atoll
- False killer whale, found in the White Room of the Great Aqua Cave
- Risso's dolphin, found in the Abyss
Additionally, two more species of dolphin must first be unlocked before being able to be befriended. They are the:
- Orca, found during the day above the Fighter Wreckage in Ship's Rest after the player has found the Jewel of Life
- Beluga, found in the Prince's Room of the Underwater Ruins of Mo'ia Atoll after the player has found the Ancient Bracelet
Tricks[]
After selecting a partner.
A Risso's dolphin and short-beaked common dolphin partner jumping together.
The player can train their dolphin partners by heading to the gangplank at the back of the Gabbiano. Going to the gangplank will prompt the player to select which dolphin they'd like to train, as well as summon the player's other partners, if they have any.
All six tricks are available to a dolphin as soon as they are partnered, without needing to be learned. When selecting tricks, the player can choose as many as they'd like in a row. They can choose which tricks to train by selecting either the dolphin's head or one of the pectoral fins, and then poking, petting, or grabbing it. Each of these six configurations chooses a different trick:
- Head
- Poke (Press
) - Spin Jump - Stroke (Hold and shake the Wii remote) - Front Flip
- Grab (Press and at the same time) - Backflip
- Poke (Press
- Fin
- Poke - Tail Walk
- Stroke - Sing
- Grab - Handshake
Tricks are improved the more they are practiced, and will level up after enough practice.
Name Suggestions[]
Before being prompted to name a newly befriended dolphin, Katherine will suggest a name for the dolphin at random. Below is a list of all possible name suggestions:
Gallery[]
.png "Orca and Common Dolphin Backflip (EO1).png (2.14 MB)")
.png "Risso's Dolphin Sing (EO1).png (1.43 MB)")
.png "Risso's and Common Dolphin Spin Jump (EO1).png (2 MB)")
.png "Deck View Risso's Dolphin (EO1).png (1.89 MB)")
Endless Ocean 2[]
Overview[]
The player befriending the beluga partner.
Dolphin partners return in Endless Ocean 2, with more species and trick variety, revamped training, and better seeking mechanics when spotting glow spots or salvages. There are a total of 11 befriendable dolphins, 2 of which are befriended during the main story, with the other 9 being part of the long-running Be the Best Trainer quest, which requires the player to actively train their dolphin partners and perform dolphin show requests.
Whereas in the first game, the player was capable of befriending any member of a dolphin's species, the partners in Endless Ocean 2 are individuals of their species that display unique physical or behavioral characteristics, such as distinctive scarring, size, or interactions with the player that border on supernatural.
Partner Species[]
The 11 partners, their specialties, and the way in which they are befriended are listed below. Note that after befriending the false killer whale partner, the player is free to pursue and befriend the remaining dolphins in whatever order they prefer.
Each dolphin has a tendency to seek out specific types of salvages and collectibles, also listed below.
After befriending each dolphin and training them to level three, the player unlocks a title, which can be viewed and configured at the Certificate.
The first partner the player can befriend is a short-beaked common dolphin with a golden tail. This dolphin is already an ally of L&L Diving Service by the time the player meets it, so befriending it is automatic.
This dolphin seeks out small spheres and small stones.
The second partner the player can befriend is a spectacled porpoise with white markings. Befriending it is part of the main story, as the porpoise helps guide the player out of the Weddell Sea during a severe blizzard.
This dolphin seeks out valuable items.
The third partner the player can befriend is a bottlenose dolphin with albinism. As the first dolphin befriended during the Be the Best Trainer quest, after performing three dolphin shows and then performing for Finley, he will tell the player that the albino bottlenose dolphin can be found at Cross Rift in Ciceros Strait, being attacked by a tiger shark. After calming the shark, the player gains the trust of the dolphin.
This dolphin seeks out metal-based salvages and can also locate constellation coins under glow spots.
The fourth partner the player can befriend is a tusk-bearing female narwhal with a red-tinged tusk. She can be befriended during the Be the Best Trainer quest after performing enough dolphin shows, by diving in the North Coast of Canada with Oceana.
This dolphin seeks out large sculptures.
The fifth partner the player can befriend is a beluga with markings resembling flowers. It can be befriended during the Be the Best Trainer quest after the player has performed 20 dolphin shows or trained their dolphins a total of 100 times, by "singing" to it with the Sea Whistle.
This dolphin seeks out paintings and small rings.
The sixth partner the player can befriend is a scarred false killer whale. It can be befriended during the Be the Best Trainer quest after the player has befriended the beluga partner, by healing it with the Pulsar in Valka Castle.
This dolphin seeks out valuable items.
An Amazon river dolphin colored entirely pink appears in the Twilight Temple. It can be befriended at any time after Part 7 of the Be the Best Trainer quest, by letting it play with the narwhal partner.
This dolphin seeks out ingots and large containers, and is also required to complete the "Mother of the Cortica" special request.
A hungry male Risso's dolphin appears in the Zahhab Region Depths, in the Northern Crevasse. He can be befriended at any time after Part 7 of the Be the Best Trainer quest, by feeding him the squid meat and seafood set that can be purchased from Nancy's shop.
This dolphin seeks out small bottles and small jars.
A unique pacific white-sided dolphin with strange white fins appears swimming above Deep Hole, with the pod of the same species that already lives there. It can be befriended at any time after Part 7 of the Be the Best Trainer quest, by visiting it on three separate days until it feels fully comfortable.
This dolphin seeks out glow spots.
A smaller-than-usual orca with a scarred forehead, most likely a calf, appears in the Southeast Zahhab Region, past the Open Sea. It can be befriended at any time after Part 7 of the Be the Best Trainer quest, by letting it interact with Hayako and then giving it a floating toy that can be purchased from Nancy.
This dolphin seeks out large barrels, large crates, and large containers.
A white-marked Commerson's dolphin appears in the Cavern of the Gods, and can only be encountered after it is re-opened; as such, it will likely be the last dolphin the player befriends. It can be befriended as a part of the Be the Best Trainer quest, by offering several "gifts" to the Queen of the Okeanides, all of which can be purchased from Nancy.
This dolphin seeks out small books and mysterious chests.
Tricks[]
All dolphin partners will learn six tricks, and some can be upgraded into better and more complex tricks after leveling up. To train these tricks, the player can call their dolphin partner to them using the Dolphin Bell on Nineball Island.
Training dolphin partners is widely considered more streamlined and less confusing in the second game.
Level One Tricks[]
The player training the Pacific white-sided dolphin partner on Nineball Island.
All dolphins learn the same tricks at level one:
- Jump/Flip - The dolphin jumps out of the water.
- Sing - The dolphin "sings" a song.
- Backflip - The dolphin does a small backflip out of the water.
- Wave - The dolphin positions itself horizontally in the water and waves its front fins in a similar manner to the human greeting.
- Spin Jump - The dolphin does a small vertical jump with a little bit of spin.
- Tail Walk - The dolphin propels itself across the surface of the water using its tail fin.
Level Two Tricks[]
All dolphins learn the same tricks at level two:
- Advanced Jump/Flip - The dolphin does a larger jump, while flipping faster.
- Sing - The dolphin sings a different song than the level one song, with a slight increase in duration.
- Advanced Backflip - The dolphin performs a bigger backflip, while flipping faster.
- Wave - Nothing changes with the wave trick, except a slight increase in duration.
- High Spin Jump - The dolphin does a higher spin jump, while spinning faster.
- Tail Walk - Nothing changes with the tail walk, except a slight increase in duration.
Level Three Tricks[]
The Amazon river dolphin partner mid-jump.
Some tricks may be replaced by a special trick, depending on the dolphin (see below). These are the default level three tricks:
- Super Jump/Flip - The dolphin does an even larger jump, while flipping even faster.
- Sing - The dolphin sings a different song.
- Super Backflip - The dolphin performs an even larger backflip, while flipping even faster.
- Wave - Nothing changes, only a slight duration increase.
- Corkscrew - Your dolphin performs an even higher spin jump, while spinning rapidly.
- Tail Walk - Nothing changes, only a slight duration increase.
Special Tricks[]
Each dolphin partner has its own variation on an existing trick once they reach level 3. They are:
- Fly to the Stars - The short-beaked common dolphin partner's variation on the Spin Jump.
- Water Blossom - The spectacled porpoise partner's variation on the Backflip.
- Blue Moon-sault - The bottlenose dolphin partner's variation on the Jump/Flip.
- Unicorn Drill - The narwhal partner's variation on the Spin Jump.
- Recital - The beluga partner's variation on the Sing trick.
- Black Vortex - The false killer whale partner's variation on the Jump/Flip.
- Pororoca - The Amazon river dolphin partner's variation on the Tail-Walk.
- Merry-Go-Round - The Risso's dolphin partner's variation on the Wave trick.
- Spiral Sickle - The pacific white-sided dolphin partner's variation on the Jump/Flip.
- Thunder Cyclone - The orca partner's variation on the Jump/Flip.
- Legend of the Sea - The Commerson's dolphin partner's variation on the Spin Jump.
Name Suggestions[]
Before being prompted to name a newly befriended dolphin, a member of L&L will suggest a name for them to the player at random. Each character has a different pool of possible names, generally with a theme reflective of the character. For instance, Hayako's name suggestions are all related to sweets and food, and in Japanese, GG's name suggestions all begin with the letter "G", as his fixation on "G" words is part of his character in that version of the game.
Below is a list of all possible name suggestions:
.png "Beluga Partner (Happy).png (1.07 MB)")
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