Ciceros Strait is second playable stage in Endless Ocean 2, acting as the tutorial area for the Multisensor tool and night diving. Located around the islands of the Cyclades, it is known for its unique geography, and an abundance of unique terrain, shipwrecks, and ancient ruins. The area is believed, and eventually confirmed, to be the resting place of Valka Castle.
It is also home to many species of sharks, most notably dangerous great whites and their leader, a ferocious beast known as Thanatos.
In-Game
Loading Description
"This channel runs between outlying islands of the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Its varied terrain and shark-infested waters make it popular with divers. Its array of sunken wrecks also makes it a prime destination for treasure-hunting salvagers"
Notebook Description
“The Aegean sea is home to the Cyclades, a group of islands in Greek waters. Ciceros Strait lies between the remote Ailouros (or "Cat") Island and Ciceros Island to the east.
The waters in the strait are shallower than the surrounding sea, causing strong currents and a large number of whirlpools known as the Ciceros Undines.
Many ships have gone down in these mysterious waters in the past, giving rise among local sailors to legends of sirens."
Flora, Fauna, and Geography
The main draw of the region is its abundance of sharks, of which several species of various sizes can be found. In fact, a vast majority of the marine encyclopedia's Large Marine Life section can be found here. Some of these sharks, namely the great whites, pose a threat to the player, making Cicero's Strait the first main map in the game to contain resident dangerous creatures. That being said, several types of small coral-dwelling fish can also be found in these waters.
Most of the terrain in Ciceros Strait consists of rock faces and shelves, with sparse amounts of coral. There are several sandy coves found in the southern half of the map, and two deep canyons at each end. It is also characterized by the multiple shipwrecks that can be found dispersed around the stage.
Dive Points
The locations from which the player can enter the water from the boat in this area are:
- North Canyon (G1)
- North Ciceros Undine (D3)
- East Ciceros Undine (F6)
- Triton Village Ruins (D7)
Spots
North Canyon
Scalloped hammerhead sharks, as seen in North Canyon.
This huge trench in the northern part of Ciceros Strait is populated by scalloped hammerheads, Indo-Pacific sailfish, and moon jellyfish. The canyon can reach up to 100 feet (30 meters) deep. This is one of the main diving locations of Ciceros Strait and where you and Oceana first enter the strait. Great white sharks appear here at night, near the Wreck of the Pride of Athens.
White Cove
This tucked-away shore can be found in the easternmost section of Ciceros Strait. The cove is known for its beautiful white sand, and a hidden colony of Mediterranean monk seals. A pair of red stingrays, surrounded by smaller fish such as teardrop and oriental butterflyfish cover the water leading into this cove.
Cross Rift
This X-shaped spot near the East Ciceros Undine is a play place for bottlenose dolphins. Through the X-shaped cut in the rock, you can find a small cavern containing a coin, glow spots, a whitetip reef shark, and some pineconefish. A lone tiger shark can also be found here, but only during the "White Dolphin of Ciceros" mission.
Blue Dome
A side-by-side comparison of the mysterious, ancient murals found in both Blue Dome and Red Dome.
The northernmost dome in Ciceros is so-called for two reasons: The first is that there are lots of blue fish in the dome, for example, blue-spotted ribbontail rays, blue tangs, king angelfish and more, and the other can be seen at the surface. A dome comes out of the water, and its interior is painted with blue murals.
Red Dome
The southernmost dome in Ciceros is so-called for the same reasons as the Blue Dome: it has red Japanese angelsharks populating it, and there are red murals painted on the interior of the dome. A trio of great white sharks is found here, but exclusively during the "Mural Fragment" mission.
Triton Village Ruins
The Triton Village Ruins, broken and scattered along the seabed.
These ruins found in southeastern Ciceros Strait (near the Red Dome) are home to sailfish, pelagic thresher sharks, and monkfish. There is also a North Atlantic right whale that swims through the area. The Wreck of the Blood Lotus lies east of here, being where the German pottery can be salvaged.
Well of the Full Moon
Located in the southeast of Triton Village Ruins, the Well of the Full Moon is discovered to be the entrance to the mythical Valka Castle. The Well of the Full Moon is also used in the clues to finding the Canopic Vessel, a one-time salvage item found north of the well.
South Canyon
The southernmost part of Ciceros Strait, similar in appearance to North Canyon. Its main distinguishing feature is the North Atlantic right whale that circles through here (replaced by a basking shark at night). There are also red and cowtail stingrays that can be found on the seafloor, and the enigmatic Sea Serpent is also discoverable here upon filling in the entire map.
Landmarks
Amphitrite's Sanctuary
Amphitrite's Sanctuary, and its famous manta rays.
This location near the North Ciceros Undine consists of a sunken ship and some stone ruins similar to those of Triton Village. It is also the entrance to the Blue Dome. This is a tourist attraction to all divers who come to Ciceros Strait because of the manta rays that dance and swim there. The Mercury Coin can also be found here.
Forgotten Caverns
This small cave is only accessible at night, due to the East Ciceros Undine blocking its entrance during the day. Home to a few goldeye rockfish and the Hydra coin, this cavern is most notable for being the resting place of the Spartan Treasure.
Wreck of the Pride of Athens
This shipwreck is located west of the North Canyon, in between the canyon itself and its sister wreck, the Flamingo. This ship is flooded by small fish such as swallowtail sea perch, and larger fish such as pelagic thresher sharks. At night, the great white sharks from the Flamingo move to this ship. This wreck is the main destination for the "Memento" mission, during which Thanatos makes his only appearance in the area.
Wreck of the Flamingo
Divers should take precaution when exploring this shipwreck in the west of the North Canyon, as great white sharks are common in large numbers. At night, they are replaced by sand tigers, which are not dangerous. This is where you find the Ultimate Vinegar as part of a quest, and the great sturgeon Lady Dorthea is often spotted in the area during the day.
Wreck of the Demeter
The Wreck of the Demeter, notable for being almost entirely destroyed, in comparison to the generally-intact state of other shipwrecks.
The Wreck of the Demeter lies near the North Ciceros Undine in the middle of Ciceros Strait. Indo-Pacific sailfish populate this ship, along with accompanying shoals of Japanese jack mackerel, European parrotfish, and others.
Wreck of the Arktos
This wreck in the middle of the strait sits directly southeast of the North Ciceros Undine. Several mahi-mahi and longtooth grouper call this ship home, and a whitetip reef shark makes its home in a shelf of rock nearby.
Wreck of the Blood Lotus
Near the Triton Village Ruins, the Blood Lotus's decaying frame yields multiple unique species. Common octopuses, goldeye rockfish, and lined surgeonfish surround this wreck, and the great North Atlantic right whale swims around the area. At night, a basking shark makes its way near and around the ship.
Wreck of the Emerald Lady
What is most notable about this ship in the southeastern-most part of Ciceros is that it's always swarming with great white sharks. This is also where the man-eater Thanatos dwells after his encounter in the main plot, save for one special occasion. Caution is advised when swimming here, as the sharks are quick to anger, and Thanatos' attacks pack a punch. One of the lost Mediterranean monk seals will be found here during Ciceros Strait's portion of the Help Me! quest.
Lore Locations
Triton Cove
Triton Cove, as seen from its shore.
Though not officially named in-game, the famously-elusive Blue Bird's hint to find it here refers to the area as "Triton Cove". This location is found in the center of Ciceros Strait, next to the East Ciceros Undine and Triton Village Ruins. Here, like in White Cove, a group of Mediterranean monk seals is found.
Animal and Event Scenes
When diving in this stage with Hayako Sakurai, the player has the option to replay previously viewed scenes by talking her. The scenes available for Ciceros Strait are as follows:
Animal
- Manta ray
- North Atlantic right whale
- Basking shark
Event
- Manta Dance: Unlocked after the player encounters the manta rays in the South Canyon, and then travels to Amphitrite's Sanctuary.
- Endangered seals: Automatically plays when the player goes ashore in the White Cove for the first time.
- Thanatos appears: Viewed during the story mission, shortly after discovering the Triton Village Ruins.
Story Significance
The mysterious verse on Oceana's pendant retrieved from Deep Hole hints towards Valka Castle, a long-lost castle rumored to have sunk around Ciceros Strait many years ago. Upon travelling to Ciceros Strait in search of the castle, L&L are introduced to Gaston Gray, also known as GG. GG is a famous American salvager who has also caught wind of the Valka Castle mystery and is out to get the treasure for himself and boost his popularity. L&L and GG agree to a competition to find the castle first, and GG swims away. Jean-Eric then gives the player a tool called the Multisensor, used for detecting treasure, to aide in finding the castle.
While exploring the area, you come across various pieces of lapis lazuli with the Multisensor. Eventually, you discover a bracelet made of pure lapis lazuli, known as the Triton Bracelet. It contains a map, as well as engravings which you can't decipher. Upon heading to Nineball Island to have Nancy decipher the bracelet, it is described as reading:
"Fishermen of Triton Village of the Ailouros Cape, pay heed if you value your life. Even the whirling waters fear the night. Sail in the calm twilight when all is quiet."
This clues the player in to diving in Ciceros Strait at night when the area's whirlpools have disappeared, which leads to the discovery of Triton Village Ruins left behind by an ancient civilization. GG arrives soon after, proclaiming himself the victor of the challenge. However, suddenly GG becomes terrified and tells you to swim for your lives. The player and Oceana are confused as to what scared him until they turn around and notice the legendary man-eating shark Thanatos approaching, accompanied by some great white sharks. Using the Pulsar against Thanatos proves to have no effect, and so in desperation, Oceana and the player escape down a nearby well. This well turns out to have been the entrance to the legendary Valka Castle, which the player and Oceana then explore.
Gallery
.png "Ciceros Strait and Player (Intro).png (1.93 MB)")
Notes
- Whenever the player dives in this region, possible creatures that can appear on the loading screens include great white sharks, sand tigers, Indo-Pacific sailfish, and mahi-mahi.
- Out of all maps in the game, Ciceros Strait has the largest number of constellation coins, at a total of sixteen.
Dive Points:
North Canyon • Triton Village Ruins • East Ciceros Undine • North Ciceros Undine
Spots:
North Canyon • White Cove • Cross Rift • Red Dome • Blue Dome • Triton Village Ruins • South Canyon • Well of the Full Moon
Landmarks:
Amphitrite's Sanctuary • Forgotten Caverns • Wreck of the Pride of Athens • Wreck of the Flamingo • Wreck of the Demeter • Wreck of the Arktos • Wreck of the Blood Lotus • Wreck of the Emerald Lady
Lore Locations:
Triton Cove
Spots:
Spiral Tower • Underwater Gallery • Mermaid's Ballroom • Well Bottom
Landmarks:
Armory • Treasure Vault • King's Chamber • Secret Room • Collapsed Gallery