Nether Fortress is not the only large structure that gets generated in Minecraft. The Ocean Monument is not necessary to explore if you are just looking to finish up the game by defeating the Ender Dragon, but it is a lot of fun. Fighting unique enemies that you can not find anywhere else in all of Minecraft, new versions of both usable and decorative blocks, and a beautiful monument are just some of the things that await you in the depths of the ocean.
When I made the trip to the Ocean Monument for the first time, I was really under-prepared. For some reason, I didn’t really think about how I was going to breathe down there until it was time for me to resurface for the first time. Oh, what a fool I was. So, I did the only thing I could do at the time: I tactically retreated back to my base and started preparing for the second expedition.
What Is an Ocean Monument?
The Ocean Monument is a rare underwater structure found in deep ocean biomes. Guardians and elder guardians live there and attack the player on sight. This is the only place where you can find sponges and one of two places where prismarine can be found.
The Ocean Monument is by far the largest underwater structure and is the largest structure in Minecraft that does not contain a loot chest. It is constructed entirely from variants of prismarine and lit by sea lanterns. Visually it consists of a large central section that looks attached to two wings. Rooms in the monument are generated randomly, with a treasure chamber filled with gold usually somewhere in the middle of the central section.
How To Find the Ocean Monument?
There are two ways for you to find the Ocean Monument. The first one is to just explore the world for ocean biomes and hope to God you will eventually stumble upon one. This could take you ages if you even find it at all and I don’t recommend you doing this.
The easiest way to find the Ocean Monument is by purchasing the Ocean Explorer map from cartographer villagers with emeralds.
What Do You Need Before Making the Trip?
Underwater Breathing
The Ocean Monument is located under the ocean, so naturally, you need to make sure you don’t run out of air while exploring. Do not repeat the same mistake I did and make sure you have enough potions of underwater breathing. If you somehow can’t find the materials required for the underwater breathing potions, you can use the special door tactics. Just make yourself a stack of doors, go underwater, and start placing them. They will create 2 block-high air pockets for you to get your breath back. But only do this if you are a professional like me.
Weapons & Armor
Guardians and elder guardians may seem like just some oversized fish in the ocean, but they actually do hit pretty hard. I recommend you get yourself a full set of armor of at least diamond quality. You will want to bring along every one of your standard tools (except for the hoe) and your melee weapons. Since the Ocean Monument is under the water your bows and crossbows won’t be of much use. But you can use the trident if you’ve acquired it. Make sure every piece of equipment you bring along is properly enchanted for maximum efficiency.
Food
Food is incredibly important as well. You will most likely take a lot of damage while fighting, which you will need to heal back up. Continuously mining and swimming underwater will bring your hunger bar even lower than usual, which makes bringing a stack of food that replenishes a lot of your hunger bar essential.
Bring Protection
If you feel like the hostile mobs in the Ocean Monument could actually kill you, bringing a Totem of Undying is never a bad idea. It will give a free get-out-of-jail card if you manage to take fatal damage from hostiles.
It is probably not the worst idea if you bring at least one stack of placeable blocks, just to make sure if you need to wall off a section from a dangerous enemy, or maybe use them to mark where you’ve explored already.
Final Thoughts
The Ocean Monument is really a fascinating structure. It is by far the largest underwater structure in Minecraft that Mojang has added so far. Visually it kind of reminds me of Ancient Greek architecture and it just calls me to turn it into my base of operations! And that will be my next project in Minecraft! I will completely surround it with glass blocks, drain it with sponges, and turn it into the greatest base you have ever seen!
Have you ever explored the Ocean Monument before? Did you use the forbidden door tactics? Or maybe you’ve already drained it and turned it into your base? Let us know in the comments below!
