Dinkum is an Australian-themed life sim set on an island, and critters are small creatures that live in the water around it. You catch them by diving, and you can sell them or donate them to the museum. Each one has a rarity tier, from Common up to Super Rare.
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What Are Critters in Dinkum?
Critters are small creatures that live in the water around your island. They aren't fish, so a fishing rod can't catch them. The name covers a wide mix, from sea stars, sea urchins and mussels to crabs, prawns, a seahorse and a blue-ringed octopus. Some are easy to come by, while others take real effort to track down.
How to Catch Critters in Dinkum
Catching a critter comes down to diving. Get into the water, dive down until you're close, then right-click to pick it up. You still have to dive even when the critter is on the square right next to you, so there's no shortcut around getting in the water.
Finding them is the harder part, since they sit on the seafloor. Once you have the Fishing Licence Level 2, critters give off a trail of bubbles from the seafloor, and that means a critter is there. Those bubbles are your clue for where to dive, so head toward them first.
Crab Pots are the hands-off option. Set one in a river or the ocean and it collects critters for you, and those catches count toward your Pedia too.
Where and When to Find Critters in Dinkum
Critters live in the northern and southern oceans, in rivers and around Island Reef. Where you dive matters, because some critters only show up in certain waters. If one you want never turns up, it may simply be in a different place.
Season and time of day matter too. Most critters can be caught in any season and at any time of day, so they fit into a normal day of diving. A few are tied to a specific season or time, and the Eleven-armed Sea Star only turns up in the morning.
Critter Rarity Tiers Explained
Every critter falls into a rarity tier, and the tiers run from Common up to Super Rare. Uncommon, Rare and Very Rare sit in between on the same scale. The tier is a guide to how hard a critter is to come across, so a Common one is generally the easiest find and a Super Rare one takes the most effort.
Knowing a critter's tier helps you plan your dives, since rarer ones usually need more time and more careful timing.
Which Critters Matter Most
The Super Rare critters are the Rock Oyster, Black Sea Cucumber, Nudibranch and Blue Sea Slug. They're also among the highest-selling critters in the game, so they're the ones most worth planning your dives around. If you're going for the full collection, though, every critter counts the same, including the Common ones.
The Rock Oyster turns up in spring and summer, at any time of day. The Black Sea Cucumber can be caught in autumn and winter, at any time of day, in the oceans and in rivers. The Nudibranch is an autumn and winter critter that only appears at night. The Blue Sea Slug has the narrowest window of the group, since it's only around in winter and only at night.
Getting Around and Staying Safe While Diving
Swimming out to the better spots can take a while, so a boat helps. A Rowboat is the earliest way to get around, and a Jet Ski comes later in the game.
Sharks and crocodiles are the dangers to watch for. In deep water they can outswim you, so look around before you dive down.
Selling and Donating Critters
Once you've caught a critter, you can sell it to John for Dinks, the game's money. If you'd rather not sell, you can donate it to the museum instead.
FAQ
Who pays the most for critters in Dinkum?
Ted Selly, the travelling visitor, buys critters for twice their usual value, so it's worth holding spares until he's in town instead of selling everything to John.
How can I stay underwater longer in Dinkum?
Eat foods that restore or refill stamina before a dive, and wear a Diving Helmet if you have one. The helmet comes from the Gacha Machine or from chests in the Undergrove and Island Reef.
Are Bay Bug and Yabbie found everywhere?
Yes. Bay Bug and Yabbie turn up everywhere you dive, so you won't have to travel to a particular spot to find them.