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The Ancient Mother is a legendary creature found in Endless Ocean and Endless Ocean 2, holding the distinction of being the only legendary creature to make an appearance in both games.

She is a massive white whale, reaching 110 ft. in length, well beyond the largest blue whales (75-90 ft), and is the largest creature in both games. She is said to protect the seas and bring good luck to whomever encounters her.

In Endless Ocean 2, the title "Amazing Sleuth" is obtained by discovering her.

Encyclopedia Description

Endless Ocean

Description


Endless Ocean 2

Description


Trivia


Story Relevance

Endless Ocean

In Endless Ocean, finding the Ancient Mother is the main focus of the storyline, although she is not mentioned until a certain point in the storyline.. In order to discover her, the player must have filled in a great deal of Manoa Lai Sea's overworld map, explored all of the caverns in the Abyss, found the White Room in the Great Aqua Cave, and discovered the Prince's Room in the Underwater Ruins of Mo'ia Atoll. In order to complete the lattermost of these tasks, the former three must be completed, because they are all prerequisites for discovering the Ruins in the first place.

After these things have been done, Katherine Sunday will start acting strangely, going nearly silent in contrast to her usual talkative nature and reacting to conversation with irritability. The player will subsequently receive an email about Kat's odd behavior from Douglas Banner, who suggests going to Green Garden to get a hint about her past. The player will subsequently find Patrick's Pocket Watch: a relic belonging to Katherine's deceased father, Patrick Sunday. The watch prompts Katherine to reminisce about her and her father's past, and thus she reveals her reason for being out at sea despite her fear of the water: her need to discover the Ancient Mother and thus fulfill her father's mission to prove himself to the scientific community.

She asks the player to help her in her mission and requests that they have at least one encyclopedia entry for each of the four large whale species that frequent the region: the humpback whale, the North Atlantic right whale, the blue whale, and the sperm whale. This is done in order to gather information about migratory habits and hopefully find a route the Ancient Mother may commonly take in her trips around the region.

After this is done, Kat suggests going to the Abyss with a dolphin partner to see if they could help the player find any signs of the Mother. When the player does as she suggests, the player's dolphin partner finds a biological sample of something similar to a blue whale; however, after sending it off to a lab and waiting for a day or two, the results show that it's different enough to warrant significant interest. This news spurs Katherine into action, and she asks for the player's help in setting up five motion-detecting devices around the region. The locations include the Abyss (in a location closer to the surface), the Southern edge of the Great Drop-Off, the Northern edge of the Great Drop-Off, near Rock Bluff, and at G-5.

After these are placed (and the player avoids a grim fate via kelp entanglement), Katherine says simply to wait until an email notification is received about the motion sensors detecting something larger than a blue whale (as the biological sample suggested). Once this notification is received, the player must go to the location the email says the motion was sensed at - the detector at the northern edge of the Great Drop-Off. There, the Ancient Mother appears, and after the player focuses on her, the game's credits roll over various scenes of her swimming.

After the player fully completes the game's Marine Encyclopedia, Katherine will inform the player about some clients who are requesting more data on the Ancient Mother. This unlocks the ability to place her in the Aquarium, even in duplicates.

Endless Ocean 2

The Ancient Mother is not involved with the story in Endless Ocean 2, but there are a few indirect mentions of her by both Jean-Eric and the game's Notebook, hinting that she might appear at some point.

In order to get the item required for the Ancient Mother to appear (the Whale Ornament) to wash up on the shore of Nineball Island, a few conditions must first be met: the player must complete the tutorial, enter the postgame by escaping the Cavern of the Gods, and view for the first time the cutscenes for the blue, sperm, pygmy sperm, Antarctic minke, gray, southern bottlenose, and North Atlantic right whales.

When the Whale Ornament washes up on the beach of Nineball Island near where the fire pit is placed, Jean-Eric will explain its connection to a certain near-mythical whale. This will trigger the Notebook's Special Request titled "Ancient Mother", which directs the player to search for her in the North Coast of Canada.

Following the meeting of these prerequisites, the Ancient Mother can be found patrolling the Ice Mosaic area, in the North Coast of Canada.

Unlike in the first game, she cannot be placed in the Aquarium, like other legendary creatures.

Location

Endless Ocean

The Ancient Mother is first found swimming around the Great Drop-Off at the ending of the main storyline of Endless Ocean. Following the end of the story, she can be found at the Great Drop-Off in only four months out of the year - January, April, July, and October - replacing the resident blue whale typically found in the area.

While not shown in-game, it is also implied that she (or at least other members of her species) might sometimes pass through The Abyss.

Endless Ocean 2

The Ancient Mother can initially be found patrolling the Ice Mosaic area, in the North Coast of Canada, following the Notebook quest titled "Ancient Mother". She travels the map in circles during both the day and night, and is the only legendary creature in the series who travels all over their map of residence. Compared to the other whales on the map, she swims much closer to the surface and is thus easier to locate.

Dialogue

Endless Ocean

Introduction

Katherine: "Oh my gosh... This can't be possible! It's the Ancient Mother! It's not a legend after all! This is... This is the greatest thing I've ever seen. I can't believe this is happening. I've been imagining this day for so long... I think I'm gonna cry! Everyone thought I was crazy... But it's real! It exists! I... Oh my gosh, I owe you everything."

Endless Ocean 2

Introduction

Jean-Eric: "Well, if it isn't the Ancient Mother. I can't believe our good luck! She was discovered a few years ago in Pelago and attracted worldwide attention. She's only been seen a handful of times since being discovered. This is the first time I've seen her with my own eyes. I never imagined she'd be this big... Maybe this is nature's way of reminding us there are still creatures in the sea that far exceed the imagination of humans. What an incredible sight!"

Behavior

Endless Ocean

The Ancient Mother behaves just as any regular whale would, patrolling the northern area of the Great Drop-Off. Like most other cetaceans, the player can gain her favor by using the Sea Whistle in her presence, though offering her food and petting her also work. While she is rideable, she cannot be ridden for too long, as she tends to stray too close to the map's borders.

Endless Ocean 2

The Ancient Mother patrols the North Coast of Canada in a circular pattern. She remains approximately 65-90 feet (20-30 meters) below the surface for most of her swim period but will dip down to a maximum depth of ~260 feet (80 meters) as she approaches the leftmost side of the map.

Like most cetaceans, her trivia can be unlocked by using the Sea Whistle while focused on her.

Gallery

Videos

Notes

  • This is one of Jean-Eric's favorite creatures.
  • There is some confusion as to how many whales like the Ancient Mother there really are. It is strongly insinuated that there is only one in Endless Ocean, considering her nearly legendary status and individual focus in the plot; however, additional Ancient Mothers can be placed in the Aquarium after the player has completely filled out every entry in their Marine Encyclopedia, which suggests that she is simply the first of a unknown, rare species of whale.
    • Further evidence of more specimens can be found in the Whalebone Chasm; some of the DNA found is shown to match the Ancient Mother's, while also being unlike the sperm whales that typically visit the Abyss.
  • The Ancient Mother is mentioned in many myths, and some fragments of these older myths can be inferred from information found in locations other than her encyclopedia information. Information from other creatures in Endless Ocean states that she might be the incarnation of a goddess who had at least six sons - one of which is suggested to be Magu Tapa.
    Taijitu symbol (Ancient Mother page)

    The Taijitu, to which the Ancient Mother and Black Harbinger may be connected. Yin (black) represents concepts including femininity and darkness, and yang (white) represents concepts including masculinity and brightness.

  • The Ancient Mother could be considered a counterpart to the Black Harbinger. The Ancient Mother is a pure, pearly white, and the legends surrounding the Ancient Mother all pertain to protection and life, whereas the Black Harbinger is a rich, inky black and the legends of it all pertain to sorrow, death, and the afterlife.
    • The pair may be a reference to concept of yin and yang, an idea from the Chinese system of beliefs known as Taoism[1]. Yin and yang are an expression of balance and duality, which is present in the legends and even colors of the two whales; however, in their other aspects, there are some inconsistencies.
      • Yin, the darker half, is linked to things like femininity, the north, the moon, and cold[2][3]; the darker of the whales, the Black Harbinger, is male, found in the warm waters of the South Pacific, and only appears during a new moon, which is a distinct lack of the moon's presence.
        • Yin, while it is considered to be the aspect representing "old", is not actually often linked with death, nor with evil. It is considered what gives spirit to all things[3].
      • Yang, the lighter half, is linked to masculinity, the south, and warmth[2][3]; the Ancient Mother is characteristically feminine, and inhabits the cold waters of the extreme north (in Endless Ocean 2).
        • While it is considered to represent youth, not many sources link yang to life itself. It is what is considered to give material form to all things, however, which could be interpreted as creation or birth[3].
  • Criticism has arisen concerning the size of Ancient Mother. It has been said that she is smaller than she should be, considering that she is supposedly larger than the blue whale (which has also been criticized for being too small in the games).
  • The definitive way to get the whale ornament to show up was completely unknown to the Endless Ocean community for around eleven years. There was much speculation on how to acquire it, with theories ranging from needing to have purchased the Totem Pole from Nancy, to needing to have identified every dolphin and whale in the Marine Encyclopedia, and many more. Through the combined efforts of many Endless Ocean fans, the true requirements for the Whale Ornament were finally found; subsequently documented and explained on GameFAQs.[4]

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References

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