One of the biggest struggles early in Subnautica 2 is inventory space. It never feels like you can carry enough materials, especially once you start gathering crafting resources, scanning fragments, and bringing back supplies for your first base. That is why finding the Colonist Bunker (Unauthorized NOA Modification) is absolutely worth the trip early on.
Not only does this bunker permanently increase your inventory space through a Biobed upgrade, but it also contains several extremely useful scans and crafting materials that can give you a huge boost during the early game. The good news is that reaching it is much safer than some of the other bunker locations in the game. You do not need advanced vehicles or deep-diving gear, and there are very few dangerous creatures along the way.
If you are still getting comfortable exploring underwater and managing oxygen, this is actually one of the better locations to visit first.
Starting from your Lifepod, begin swimming southwest for roughly 250 meters. The journey itself is fairly straightforward, and most of the area between you and the bunker is open water with decent visibility.
As you swim farther away from the starting area, you will eventually notice large cliffs dropping into deeper water. When you first see these cliffs, do not immediately dive down. Instead, stay near the upper edge and continue following the cliffs toward the southwest.
Eventually you should spot several tall stone spires rising from the seafloor below. These spires are the main landmark you are looking for. Once you find them, start descending carefully.
The area has multiple shelf levels underwater, and you want to swim down about two levels until you reach a set of ruins sitting on the second shelf. These ruins are actually packed with useful things to scan, so it is worth slowing down for a moment and checking the area properly.
What You Can Find in the Ruins
Before you even enter the bunker itself, the nearby ruins already contain some valuable rewards for early-game players.
Inside and around the ruins you can scan several useful blueprints, including:
- Dive Elevator
- Power Transmitter
- Processor
- Foot Locker
You may also find recipes for the High Capacity Air Tank and Room modules if you have not unlocked them already. The High Capacity Air Tank is especially important because oxygen management becomes a major issue once you start exploring deeper biomes.
This area is honestly one of those places where bringing a Scanner pays off massively. New players sometimes rush directly to the bunker hatch and miss all the extra progression hidden nearby.
Where the Bunker Entrance Is Located
Once you are standing near the ruins, turn and face the cliff wall to the north or northeast. Built directly into the rock face you will spot a Hatch entrance leading into the bunker.
The bunker entrance sits at just under 90 meters deep. That depth is manageable even with basic equipment, but you do need to stay aware of your oxygen. If you are still using the standard tank, try not to waste time wandering around outside before entering.
Thankfully, once you get inside the bunker there is breathable air, so you can relax and explore without constantly watching your oxygen meter.
That makes this location much less stressful than some of the cave systems in Subnautica 2 where you have to carefully plan every second of air usage.
Everything Inside the Colonist Bunker
The main reason most players come here is the Biobed.
Inside the bunker you can interact with and scan the Biobed, which permanently gives you +3 inventory slots. It may not sound huge at first, but those extra slots make a massive difference during early exploration runs. More space means fewer trips back to base and more room for crafting materials, food, and scanned items.
Beyond the inventory upgrade, the bunker also contains several useful scans and loot items.
You can scan:
- Rebreather
- Single Bed
- Floor Locker
- Power Storage
- S Shelf
- Tadpole Fragment
The Rebreather is especially valuable because it helps reduce oxygen penalties at deeper depths. Once you start exploring lower biomes later in the game, it quickly becomes one of the most important survival tools you can craft.
You can also collect some solid crafting materials here, including:
- Copper Wire
- Advanced Wiring Kit
Finding an Advanced Wiring Kit this early can save you a surprising amount of resource grinding.
Finally, make sure to grab the “Nahema – Was I Murdered?” Data Download while exploring the bunker. Like many data logs in Subnautica games, it adds more mystery and story context to the world around you.
The Colonist Bunker (Unauthorized NOA Modification) is easily one of the best early exploration spots in Subnautica 2. It is relatively safe, simple to reach, and loaded with rewards that can noticeably improve your survival experience.
Between the permanent inventory upgrade, useful blueprint scans, advanced crafting materials, and story lore, this bunker gives new players a little bit of everything. If you are still in the early stages of the game and wondering where to explore next, this should absolutely be near the top of your list.