After you save the Deku Tree from the Gloom corruption in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you can accept the Whirly Swirly Things side quest from a Korok named Kula. The forest spirit wants to see the “big swirly thing” in the water that other Koroks saw outside the forest. Since Kula cannot leave the Lost Woods, you can help the small forest spirit by photographing this mysterious swirly water.
Zelda: TOTK Whirly Swirly Things Quest Guide
The “big swirly thing” in the water Kula mentions is actually whirlpools that you can sometimes see in various large bodies of water in Hyrule. You can find water vortexes in several locations, but the one I took a picture of was in Lake Hylia southwest of the Popla Foothills Skyview Tower (0118, -2508, 0089). The best place to take a photo of the whirlpool is from the bridge, but be careful of the Gleeok that guards the area.
Also, If you don’t know already, there’s actually a hidden cave underneath every water vortex in Hyrule. For example, I decided to jump into the whirlpool after I took the picture and discovered the Lake Hylia Whirlpool Cave where the En-oma shrine lies.
You can return to the Korok Forest and give the picture to Kula, who now wants to see a big swirly sand circle. To fulfill the forest spirit’s wish, you must visit the sand sinkholes in East Barrens in the Gerudo Desert (-2478, -3604, 0012). You can reach this location by teleporting to the Siwakama shrine or launching yourself from the Gerudo Canyon Skyview Tower.
Please be careful not to enter a Molduga territory accidentally. If you feel vibrations on your controller, quickly find any platform, such as big rocks, to prevent yourself from being flung into the air. After you take a photo of the quicksand, you can consider entering the Ancient Altar Ruins underneath the sinkholes to obtain the Phantom Greaves.
After you show the quicksand photo to Kula, the Whirly Swirly Things side quest will be marked as complete, and you will receive five Endura Carrots. While you’re in the Lost Woods, you can also try to visit Lake Saria to obtain a Forest Dweller’s Bow. It is considered one of the most powerful bows in Tears of the Kingdom due to its 15 base power and the ability to shoot three arrows at once.
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