Shimmering Lake

The Shimmering Lake is the fifth area explored in Pikmin: Connection of the Worlds. It is a giant lake; but due to its enormous size, only the southern coastline of it is explored. Green Pikmin are discovered in one of the caves here, hidden away in the area's puzzling layout. Blue Pikmin will be a must here, because much of the area is submerged in water; one of the caves is even only accessible by the aforementioned Pikmin (similar to the Submerged Castle from Pikmin 2). It is in a tropical environment, so it will rain here often, especially in the summer. However, there are lots of enemies here, so be sure to ready your army of Pikmin. There are eight treasures aboveground. When you first arrive, something isn't right: there are none of the regular, natural enemies; rather many artificial, metallic creatures that are searching the area, as well as other nasty things they have set up, such as electric conduits, etc. Be careful when walking around the area. The Platinum Mega Key, needed to unlock the Ancient Valley, rests underwater near a very distant island and will take a long time to reach.

Subarea 1: Landing Site
This is the landing site of the region. It is situated on a sandy peninsula, which seems to not be its own subarea; rather, an extension of the nearby subarea, the Broad Coastline. Just be wary walking onto land with non-Blue Pikmin, as they might fall into the water. Some Dwarf Yellow Bulborbs reside here.

Subarea 2: Acidic Tide Pool
Immediately to the east of the Landing Site is a rocky region, with jagged, sharp rocks sticking out. Beyond this hostile area is a... green tide pool? True to its name, it turns out that this tide pool has been collecting acid, and oddly enough, you can see creatures swimming about in it! Be careful here, as any non-Green Pikmin fall into acid, they are instantly killed. A treasure rests at the bottom, so you will need Green Pikmin to get it. The Acidic Cavern is situated on the other side of the tide pool, and Green Pikmin are discovered there.

Subarea 3: Broad Coastline
This subarea is a mere beach. In fact, it is the southern beach of the lake. Waves tend to wash up on the shore, endangering any non-Blue Pikmin idle. It goes a long way, but finally comes to a stop. Many creatures like to hide in the sand, ambushing their prey; in this case, your Pikmin. Be careful exploring this subarea! A treasure is also buried in the sand; it looks like a tiny sand dune, so use Tan Pikmin to retrieve it.

Subarea 4: Treacherous Cliff
This cliff overlooks the Broad Coastline. It provides a pristine view of the beach, as well as the lake itself. Watch out, however, if you manage to fall of this cliff, the captain(s) will get buried in the sand and all Pikmin with you (save for Tan Pikmin) will die from the impact. A treasure teeters on the very edge of this cliff, and the tiniest touch will make it fall to the Broad Coastline below.

Subarea 5: Foggy Swamp
Quite a hidden swamp, you might think while trying to find this swamp. You will have to force your way through the trees and vines to get here, and even then, this swamp has a complex layout, so it will be difficult to traverse this subarea. Fog looms over this dark swamp, making it hard to see. Enemies like to hide in the muck, so they might jump out and surprise you. Be careful not to get caught in the mud, because it is very sticky and is near impossible to get out of. The Murky Lair is on the other side of the swamp, so carefully traverse your way there.

Subarea 6: Busy Waterfall
A stream is what feeds the aforementioned swamp- a river. This stream's source, although the stream itself is short, is a waterfall. At the base of the waterfall, there is a waterfall pool. There is even a cave behind the waterfall, but is easily accessible. Few enemies call this area their habitat, as it is hidden away from the rest of the area. A treasure is partially buried in the cave behind the waterfall. The Flooded Haven is located here.

Subarea 7: Glamorous Lakebed
Probably the largest subarea in the area, the lakebed of the Shimmering Lake is accessible anywhere from the Broad Coastline. Only Blue Pikmin can explore this subarea, however. A widespread variety of flora and fauna call this place home, so it is quite busy here. The subarea is bordered by an invisible wall, to make sure the player(s) can't go any further. The Aquatic Fortress, a cavern similar in name and properties to the Submerged Castle from Pikmin 2 is also located here. A portion of the subarea is blocked off from the rest of the subarea and can only be accessed by the Faraway Island. The Platinum Mega Key rests here.

Final Subarea: Faraway Island
This is the most distant subarea from the Landing Site, hence the name "Faraway Island". To access this subarea, one must build an extremely long bridge across the lake. Fortunately, it takes very few Pikmin to build this bridge so the player can continue with their activities. On the actual island are some enemies and some plants. Also, the to get the Platinum Mega Key, you must get your Yellow Pikmin to knock down an electric gate.

Enemies

 * Watery Blowhog
 * Female/Male Sheargrub
 * Sandy Bulborb
 * Jungle Burrow-nit