The Basilosaurus has Shock and Grab Immunity, so no shark or electric eel can lock it up, and its bulk carries you through the deep zones. It is not invisible, though: feeding it draws Megalodons and Mantas, and the Mantas that follow will hit anything that provokes them.
The numbers
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Taming type | Passive Taming |
| Health | 2,400 |
| Food | 8,000 |
| Weight | 700 |
| Melee Damage | 47 |
| Torpor | 2,000 |
| Preferred food | Exceptional Kibble |
| Found on | Ocean maps including The Island and The Center |
Base stats from the official ARK wiki creature data. Its preferred taming food is Exceptional Kibble.
The method, in one sentence
Approach it calmly and feed it Exceptional Kibble or preferred meat; it is passive, and Shock and Grab Immunity means nothing can lock it up mid-tame.
That is the whole tame. Everything hard about it is in the execution.
Step by step
- Find them around South Haven Island (also known as Herbivore Island). They are generally uncommon but gather in great numbers there.
- Bring a fast, agile mount — an Ichthyosaurus is the wiki’s recommendation. The whale itself will not fight back even when attacked; the danger is everything around it.
- Expect the Mantas and the Megalodons. Basilosaurus are surrounded by swarms of Mantas, and the waters around the island are full of Megalodons. Sharks are slow and can be evaded, but Mantas will have no trouble catching up to you.
- Feed constantly. When not consistently fed they lose taming effectiveness very quickly, and towards the end a delay can force you to start over. Kibble and Prime Meat are preferred over raw meat.
- Use the Baryonyx’s AoE tail spin to kill the Mantas around the whale — it is an effective alternative to fighting them yourself.
- Watch your oxygen. You do not need SCUBA gear if you have a fast mount, but it helps.
- Tame in the morning. Without anything to speed the process up it takes a long time.
- Bait the predators away just before you finish. When fed, a Basilosaurus spews what appears to be blood, which attracts many tens of Megalodons and huge swarms of Mantas.
- Feed it Exceptional Kibble or preferred meat once you have a clear window.