Guide Background

The main problem here is finding the Great Maw without wandering the wrong biome or overlooking it because it does not immediately look like a clam from the front. The route starts at the Lifepod and follows a south to south-southwest line, using the Welcome Center, a large chasm, and a nearby wreck as navigation markers.

This location is tied to a spot you pass near early in the game. It is also the hole you emerge from after the opening rescue pod sequence and your first adaptation.

Operation Steps

Step 1: Leave the Lifepod and head south-southwest

Start right beside the Lifepod and move out toward the south, leaning slightly southwest. A heading around 195 works well, though anything between 195 and 210 will keep you on track.

Step 2: Pass the Welcome Center on your left

As you move out from the Lifepod, keep going straight on that south-southwest line. The Welcome Center should pass on your left side.

Step 3: Move toward the giant chasm and nearby wreck

Keep pushing forward until you reach a huge chasm. There is wreckage ahead and slightly off to the left. This is a strong landmark for the location.

Step 4: Go just past the wreck

Once you pass the wreck while still holding roughly 195 to 210, watch for a strange object ahead. At first glance it may not look like a clam at all.

Step 5: Approach from the side and scan it

Move around to the side of the object and scan it. That reveals it as a juvenile Great Maw.

Step 6: Enter carefully if you want the lithium

Inside the Great Maw there is a large tongue-like structure with chunks of lithium attached. If you want the resource, go in quickly and carefully.

Step 7: Avoid triggering the trap for too long

If you bump into or damage too many of the inner tendrils, the eye-like orbs open and the clam begins to close. Once it seals up, it releases a neurotoxin that kills anything trapped inside.

Step 8: Wait for the reset if needed

After the Great Maw finishes its trap cycle, it resets. The tendrils return, though some lingering neurotoxin may still be present, so do not rush back in blindly.

Important Items

Juvenile Great Maw

The target at this location is a juvenile Great Maw, a giant eye clam hidden south-southwest of the Lifepod. It is easy to miss because its silhouette does not clearly read as a clam until you view it from the side.

Lithium

The main reward inside the clam is lithium. The chunks are attached near the large inner tongue, making this a risky but useful resource stop.

Sonic Blaster

If you are going in for the lithium, bringing a sonic blaster helps you break loose the resource quickly before the clam fully closes.

Wreck by the Chasm

The nearby wreck is the most reliable visual marker before the Great Maw. Once you spot the chasm and that wreck, you are very close.

Key Notes and Tips

• A heading of about 195 from the Lifepod is the cleanest route.
• The Great Maw sits just past the wreck near the giant chasm.
• It does not immediately look like a clam from the front, so circle to the side before assuming you found the wrong object.
• Disturbing the tendrils triggers the closing response.
• The neurotoxin kills anything trapped inside, so do not stay in the mouth once it starts sealing shut.
• The area resets after the trap cycle, but lingering toxin can still be a danger.
• This Great Maw is described as one of the prey items of the Collector Leviathan.

Tips and Tricks

• If you are only trying to discover the location, scan it from the side and leave without entering.
• If you want the lithium, commit to a fast in-and-out grab instead of hesitating inside the mouth.
• Watch the inner strands closely. If you have already brushed too many of them, back out immediately.
• Use the wreck and the chasm together as your landmark pair. If you only search open water south of the Lifepod, it is easy to drift off line.
• If the clam closes on you once, wait for the reset rather than forcing another attempt through active toxin.

Summary

The Great Maw is found south-southwest of the Lifepod on a heading near 195, just past the chasm-side wreck and near the route from the opening escape area. Scan it from the side to confirm it, and if you go inside for lithium, be quick and careful or the neurotoxin trap will shut you in.