Mermaid's Cave

The Mermaid's Cave is the sixth Dungeon in Oracle of Ages.^[1] It is found in the center of Rolling Ridge Base and exists in both the past and the present.

Entrance to the Cave

In the past, the entrance to the Dungeon is found behind a Waterfall flowing down Rolling Ridge Base. In the present, however, the Waterfall has dried up into the Dry Falls, in which case the entrance is simply built into the cliff wall. The Mermaid Key and Old Mermaid Key are required to enter the dungeon in the past and the present, respectively.

Themes and Navigation

The Mermaid's Cave is a water-themed dungeon. Unlike other dungeons in Oracle of Ages, Link visits this dungeon twice in both the present and past. In order to complete the dungeon in its entirety, Link must travel back and forth through the present and past forms of the dungeon. The dungeon's layout and color scheme differs between the two time periods. During the present, the entire first floor of the Cave somewhat resembles the shape of a Mermaid, hence the name of the dungeon. During the past, the layout only partly resembles the makings of the future layout. Both versions of the Dungeon use Dials as a means of progression.

In the present time of Mermaid's Cave, Link finds the mini-boss, Vire, along with the Boss Key. There he also finds the Mermaid Suit, which is required to explore the submerged section of the dungeon in the past. The boss of the dungeon, Octogon, and the Essence of Time it is guarding, are found in the past. After defeating Octogon, Link will receive a Heart Container and the Lonely Peak, his sixth Essence of Time.

Minor Enemies

Trivia

Vire, the dungeon's mini-boss, bears some similarity to Swoop, the mini-boss of the Wing Dungeon. Vire also appears in Oracle of Seasons and Link's Awakening.
If the floors of this dungeon in the past are combined, they make the shape of the dungeon in the present. This means that between the two ages, something may have caused the floors to drain and merge together.
The fewest number of sword slashes to defeat Vire in this dungeon is 2. One must play Oracle of Seasons first and beat that, and then link it up with Oracle of Ages. One then must use secrets to obtain the Master Sword and equip the Red Ring.

Nomenclature

Names in Other Regions
Language	Names
This table was generated using translation pages. To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference.

Other Names

These names, though from official English sources, are not considered Canon by Zelda Wiki as they contradict a name or names from a higher-priority source.

Name	Mermaid Dungeon^[2]
Applies to	Oracle of Ages
Source	Official The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & Seasons Perfect Guide by Versus Books
Superseded by	Encyclopedia
Name	Mermaid's Dungeon^[3]
Applies to	Oracle of Ages
Source	The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages—Prima's Official Strategy Guide by Prima Games
Superseded by	Encyclopedia

Name	Applies to	Source	Superseded by
Mermaid Dungeon^[2]	Oracle of Ages	Official The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & Seasons Perfect Guide by Versus Books	Encyclopedia
Mermaid's Dungeon^[3]	Oracle of Ages	The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages—Prima's Official Strategy Guide by Prima Games	Encyclopedia