Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly

1. Enter the Throat and Reach the Central Pit

When you enter the Throat (1F), dodge surfacing Octoroks by deflecting their rocks with your Deku Shield or sniping them with the Fairy Slingshot, then pick up loose fish before striking the hanging uvula switch with your Slingshot to open the organic door. Proceed into the Central Pit Chamber on 1F, watching out for floating electric Biri that will shock you upon direct sword contact, and ride the elevator lifts across the holes until you witness a meeting cutscene with Princess Ruto. The entrance mouth remains open to Zora's Fountain if you backtrack, meaning you will not have to offer more fish tributes.

Tip: Shoot electric Biri from a safe distance using your Fairy Slingshot to avoid taking electric shock damage.

2. Meet Princess Ruto and Drain the Lower Chambers

Drop through the hole into the Princess Ruto Pit Room (B1), speak with Princess Ruto, and agree to carry her through the dungeon's puzzles. Carry Ruto into the Water Raising Chamber on B1 and set her on the pressure switches or stand on them together to raise the water level and cross the gaps. Clear the lower eastern rooms on B1 to open the large chest holding the Dungeon Map, then use the Boomerang once obtained to snag the Gold Skulltula Token from the vines/wall opposite the map area.

Tip: You can carry Princess Ruto across puzzle rooms to weigh down both yellow and blue switches.

3. Claim the Boomerang and Eliminate the Parasites

Carry Ruto to the northeastern wing of 1F and clear out the guarding enemies to open the large chest containing the Boomerang. Head into the northeastern branching room and use your Boomerang's wide arcs to pop all floating Shabom bubbles within the time limit to reveal the chest containing the Compass. Navigate the Tentacle Wing Corridors on 1F to target the narrow middle sections of the Red/Pink, Blue, and Green/Yellow Parasitic Tentacles with the Boomerang until each one dissolves.

Tip: Wide Boomerang throws can wipe out entire clusters of Shabom bubbles in a single toss.

4. Collect the Upper Ledge Skulltula Tokens

With the green tentacle cleared, return to 1F and drop down through the northern hole to land directly on the B1 Upper Ledge in the Pit Drop Room to claim the Gold Skulltula Token on the outer wall. In the adjacent passage to the Pit Room on B1, use your Boomerang to retrieve the Gold Skulltula Token clinging to the interior wall near the drop ledge. Ensure you secure these tokens now, as Lord Jabu-Jabu cannot be re-entered in the adult era and all four tokens must be obtained during the child era.

Tip: Use the Boomerang to retrieve distant Gold Skulltula Tokens off walls and high ledges.

5. Defeat Big Octo on the Sunken Platform

Bring Princess Ruto to the Sunken Center Platform spanning 1F to B1 to trigger an ambush cutscene where the platform raises her away and drops you into the mini-boss arena. Face Big Octo in its redesigned arena and work your way behind it. Stun its rear jewel using your Boomerang, then slash the vulnerable weak point with your Kokiri Sword until the creature is defeated.

Tip: Turn rapidly or run in the opposite direction along the circular track to catch Big Octo from behind.

6. Traverse the Intestines to the Boss Door

Ride the central lift up and navigate across moving platforms and squishy red polyp blocks in the Intestine Paths. In the Room Before Boss Door on 1F, grab the Gold Skulltula Token off the wall near the vine climb, then lift a small crate onto the final blue switch to hold the door open and access the Upper Boss Shaft. Step through the unlocked doorway to enter the bioluminescent boss chamber.

Tip: Small crates hold down blue pressure switches permanently without requiring you to stand on them.

7. Cleanse Barinade and Receive the Zora's Sapphire

Enter the dark bioluminescent chamber to face Barinade, first strafing around its electrical lightning barrages to sever its ceiling tendrils with the Boomerang. In the second phase, stun the central body with your Boomerang to disable the orbiting Bari shield, slicing the jellyfish with your sword or Boomerang, before stunning the grounded core in phase three and finishing it off with Kokiri Sword jump slashes. Pick up the Heart Container left in the Boss Arena, enter the blue light warp, and complete the dialogue prompt with Princess Ruto to receive the Spiritual Stone of Water (Zora's Sapphire) as an engagement gift.

Tip: Jump slashes with the Kokiri Sword deal heavy damage to Barinade's exposed core once it is stunned on the floor.

The short version

What matters

• Obtain the Boomerang from the northeastern wing of 1F to pop Shabom bubbles, cut down Parasitic Tentacles, and stun bosses.
• Collect all four Gold Skulltula Tokens while exploring B1 and 1F, as the dungeon cannot be visited as an adult.
• Carry Princess Ruto onto switches to solve water-level puzzles and trigger the elevator leading to the Big Octo encounter.

Common mistakes

• Leaving Princess Ruto behind when moving through puzzle doors, which causes her to reset back to her pit room.
• Attempting to strike electric Biri and Bari directly with your sword, which shocks Link instead of dealing safe damage.
• Waiting until the adult era to hunt for the dungeon's Gold Skulltula Tokens, permanently locking you out of all four.