New Pokémon Snap Lugia: Location, how to find and wake up Lugia

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Wings Spread
New Pokemon Snap Lugia Wings Spread (Image credit: iMore)

There are a handful of fun secrets in New Pokémon Snap, but arguably the most exciting one is finding Lugia. It isn't the most straightforward thing in the world, but once you know what to do, it's not too difficult. Here's everything you need to know about Lugia in New Pokémon Snap, including its location, how to get to it, and how to awaken it for the best pictures.

If you're looking for more Pokémon fun, check out all Pokémon games for Nintendo Switch.

New Pokémon Snap Lugia Location

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Lental Seafloor Map (Image credit: iMore)

If you just want to know where Lugia is located, but want to figure out how to find it yourself, just know that it is found in the Lental Seafloor area of the map in the Undersea level.

New Pokémon Snap How to unlock Lugia

You must first have completed three things in order to unlock Lugia:

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Lental Seafloor Undersea Level 3 Award (Image credit: iMore)

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Clawitzer Cave (Image credit: iMore)

Source: iMore

  • Complete the glowing Cystabloom quest in the Lental Seafloor, which unlocks Pink Illumina Orbs.
  • Get the Undersea level to Research Level 3.
  • Clear the Clawitzer cave in the Undersea level.
    • Near the start of the Undersea level, hit the Clawitzer with an Illumina Orb before it shoots at the rocks in the cave. This will make its blast strong enough to destroy the rocks in your path and reveal an opening. DO NOT speed up to get to the cave faster, as this will put you ahead of the Clawitzer.

Once you've done all of that, there are some specific steps you'll need to follow to find Lugia.

New Pokémon Snap How to find Lugia and wake it up

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Swimming (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Scan the cave area that the Clawitzer cleared to head in that direction.
  2. Keep going down into these dark depths for a while until you see a Cystabloom on a ledge. Look just down and to the right where some sun is hitting a rock, and eventually, a Lanturn will appear.Throw an Illumina Orb at this Lanturn.Source: iMore

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Scan Clawitzer Cave (Image credit: iMore)

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Make Lanturn Glow (Image credit: iMore)
  1. As you continue down you'll see one pink and one blue Frillish floating near each other on the left. A Wailord will swim past you and then you'll see that the two Frillish have caught the same Lanturn from before. Throw an Illumina Orb at the Lanturn to free it.Source: iMore

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Frillish (Image credit: iMore)

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Free Lanturn (Image credit: iMore)
  1. If you have helped Lanturn out both times previously, it will happily wait for you and lead you to a cave on the side. Scan the cave on the right to follow Lanturn. This will lead you to a sleeping Lugia just on the right.Source: iMore

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Lanturn Cave (Image credit: iMore)

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Follow Lanturn (Image credit: iMore)
  1. To wake Lugia, you'll need to throw Illumina Orbs at the two Cystablooms on either side of it. One is in front and one is behind it on a ledge above next to a Magikarp.Source: iMore

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Crystabloom (Image credit: iMore)

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Crystabloom (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Once that's done, hurl Fluffuits at Lugia until it awakes and swims out of the small cave.
  2. Now take pictures like crazy!Source: iMore

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Fluffruit (Image credit: iMore)

New Pokemon Snap Lugia Hovering (Image credit: iMore)

With Lugia awoken, it will swim around the rest of the level. Light up the Cystabloom in the center of the ruins to get some beautiful pink lighting.

Guardian of the Sea

Now that you've found Lugia, it's time to share your favorite Lugia pictures with others. If you have a Nintendo Switch Online account, you can even upload your favorites to the Your Space section of New Pokémon Snap for others to see.

Rebecca Spear
Gaming Editor

Gaming aficionado Rebecca Spear is iMore's dedicated gaming editor with a focus on Nintendo Switch and iOS gaming. You’ll never catch her without her Switch or her iPad Air handy. If you’ve got a question about Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, or just about any other Nintendo series check out her guides to help you out. Rebecca has written thousands of articles in the last six years including hundreds of extensive gaming guides, previews, and reviews for both Switch and Apple Arcade. She also loves checking out new gaming accessories like iPhone controllers and has her ear to the ground when it comes to covering the next big trend.