The route players call the third island is best identified by its quest, not by an official number. The reviewed sources do not prove one universal unlock requirement for every save on patch 1.0.9. Once the local character asks for an endangered fish, the community-recorded route is: hand in a normal Needlefish, Bowlfish, or Seahorse, keep the carrot reward, defeat Pufferfish, collect the tail, and return it.

How to reach or unlock the 3rd island

No reviewed official source lists a complete prerequisite for a destination named "3rd Island." Do not use an old locked-island shortcut or an unexplained map order as proof that your save should already have access.

Use these checks instead:

  1. Open the live travel interface and look for the next available destination.
  2. Finish any active trophy hand-in before assuming progression is blocked.
  3. At the destination, read the local character's request before collecting fish.
  4. Continue with the route below only if the request is for an endangered fish and the hand-in produces a carrot.

If the destination is still locked, return to the last unfinished quest or trophy. The sources available for this page do not support naming a specific prior boss, currency amount, or trophy count as a universal requirement.

Pufferfish quest steps after you arrive

The following sequence is community-documented and last confirmed in the reviewed Pufferfish recording. It has not been directly replayed on patch 1.0.9 for this page.

  1. Speak with the local task character and confirm the endangered-fish request.
  2. Bring one accepted normal fish: Needlefish, Bowlfish, or Seahorse.
  3. Keep the carrot received after the accepted hand-in.
  4. Use the carrot to continue into the Pufferfish encounter.
  5. Defeat Pufferfish, pick up the tail trophy, and protect it from sale or gambling.
  6. Return the tail to the relevant task character, then check the travel interface for progress.

The recording shows this full chain, but it does not establish exact spawn coordinates, drop rates, or a mandatory weapon. Use the live prompts in your version whenever they disagree with an older route.

Which fish form should you hand in?

Needlefish, Bowlfish, and Seahorse

  • Form to try first: normal.
  • Evidence limit: each fish was accepted in one recorded quest route.

Drip variants

  • Form to try first: keep the Drip catch and find the normal form.
  • Evidence limit: a Drip catch was rejected in the recording, but current-version behavior is not directly tested here.

You need one accepted fish in the recorded route, not all three. Check the full on-screen name before handing it over. The three names above document this quest only and should not be treated as a complete list of every endangered fish in the game.

Troubleshooting blocked third-island progress

The destination is not available

Finish the last active quest and trophy return, then reopen the travel interface. Do not rely on an old locked-island exploit.

The character will not accept the fish

Confirm that the request is active and that the catch is the normal form, not a Drip variant.

You handed in the fish but cannot continue

Check whether the carrot entered the expected quest state. Do not sell, gamble, or discard it.

Pufferfish does not start

Recheck the active request and the carrot interaction prompt. This page does not claim a fixed trigger location.

The tail did not advance the route

Make sure the tail was collected and returned to the task character, then inspect quest and travel status separately.

Change one condition at a time. A screenshot of the travel label, request text, held item, and final hand-in is more useful for diagnosis than a community island number alone.

Island numbering and version limits

Pending confirmation applies to the official island number, map label, complete unlock prerequisite, and patch 1.0.9 behavior of the community route. Official patch history shows that locked-island travel and boss balance have changed, so footage using an older shortcut cannot prove current progression order.

The durable part of this guide is the visible quest state: endangered-fish request, carrot reward, Pufferfish encounter, tail pickup, and trophy return. If the live interface uses a different destination label, follow the interface rather than forcing the third-island nickname onto it.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Pufferfish route officially called the third island?

The reviewed official material does not confirm that label. It is a community search term, so identify the route by the endangered-fish and carrot quest instead.

Do I need Needlefish, Bowlfish, and Seahorse together?

No. The recorded route accepts one of those normal fish. The recording does not prove that the same choices work under every later patch.

Can I use a Drip version for the quest?

Try the normal form first. A Drip catch was rejected in the reviewed recording, while patch 1.0.9 behavior has not been directly tested for this page.

What should I do after defeating Pufferfish?

Collect the tail trophy and return it to the relevant task character. Then check the quest and travel interfaces instead of assuming the next route unlocked automatically.

Use the current travel and quest text as the final authority. The community route can help you recognize the sequence, but it should not replace what your patched save actually displays.