In Dazed Games’ Steam game How to Fish, you get the RHIB keys by defeating the lava whale on Island 5, taking its tail to the scientist, then starting the RHIB to trigger the ending.
The RHIB keys are the final item you earn in How to Fish, the physics-based fishing-and-shooting game from Dazed Games on Steam. Getting them means clearing the game’s one genuinely hard boss fight, and once you start the RHIB the credits roll. Below is the whole endgame run on Island 5, from prep through the last hand-in.
Where the RHIB keys sit in the story
These aren’t the boat keys you pick up early on — travel between the first islands is gated behind a completely different key. The RHIB keys are strictly endgame, tied to the volcano at Island 5 and its final boss.
There’s a neat symmetry to it. The very first boss drops a shell that buys your boat keys, and the very last boss drops a tail that buys your RHIB keys. Once you’re holding them, the RHIB is the boat that carries you into the ending.
RHIB key route at a glance
| Stage | Action |
|---|---|
| Prepare on Island 5 | Lava-cook a large stock of fish and fully kit an assault rifle. |
| Give 5 fish to the scientist | Hand over any five fish to receive the whale bait. |
| Use the whale bait | Fish up the regular whale with the bait. |
| Kill the whale | Dodge its charges and stomps, then finish it off. |
| Throw it into the volcano | Toss the whale in to spawn the lava whale. |
| Kill the lava whale | Beat the final boss through its aggressive second phase. |
| Turn in the tail | Bring the dropped tail to the scientist for the RHIB keys. |
| Start the RHIB | Start the boat to watch the ending. |
The whole thing is one chain of actions on the volcano island. Here’s the sequence at a glance before we break down each stage.
Stock up on Island 5 first
Before you touch either boss, spend some time turning Island 5 into a supply depot. The volcano lets you lava-cook at exactly 1.5x value with no timing risk at all, so cook everything you plan to sell and build up a large pile of cooked fish. Those cooked fish double as your healing items in the fights ahead, and honestly you cannot over-prepare for the ending.
The other must-have is a fully kitted assault rifle with every attachment applied. You need it for the final boss regardless, and building it here is where the Fully equipped achievement unlocks — fish are worth far more on this island, so kitting it out now is cheaper than doing it earlier.
Get whale bait from the scientist
Talk to the scientist
He asks you to bring him 5 fish before he’ll help.
Hand over any 5 fish
He isn’t picky about species — any five will do the job.
Collect the whale bait
In return he gives you the whale bait you need to summon the whale.
Need five fish in a hurry? Throw dynamite into the water and scoop up everything it kills — the scientist takes any species, so speed is all that matters.
Fish up the whale and feed the volcano
Fish up the whale
Use the whale bait to hook the whale and reel it to the surface.
Kill the whale
It charges and launches into the sky to stomp you, so dodge, keep shooting, and eat cooked fish to heal.
Throw the whale into the volcano
Dragging its body into the volcano is what spawns the final boss.
Beat the lava whale for the tail
Open the lava whale fight
It’s a harder, lava-themed version of the whale that rolls, stomps, and fires lava meteorites across the arena.
Dodge the lava pools
Watch the ground as much as the boss — pools of lava spread across the arena alongside its attacks.
Survive phase 2
It becomes far more aggressive, stomping constantly and periodically launching into the sky to shoot down at you.
Pick up the dropped tail
When it finally dies it drops a tail, the trophy item the scientist wants.
Take the tail to the scientist
Hand the tail in and he gives you the RHIB keys.
Start the RHIB
Starting the RHIB plays the ending and finishes the game.
Scientist won’t hand over the keys?
Key If dialogue won’t advance, check what you’re actually carrying. Every boss in the game drops a distinct trophy item, never plain meat chunks, and the scientist specifically wants the lava whale’s tail — ordinary fish, cooked meat, or anything else won’t trigger the exchange.
Also make sure you beat the right boss. The lava whale is the final boss you spawn by throwing the regular whale into the volcano; the earlier regular whale doesn’t drop a tail and won’t get you the keys. Kill the lava version, grab its tail, and the RHIB is yours.
Related How to Fish guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get the RHIB keys in How to Fish?
Kill the lava whale on Island 5, take the tail it drops to the scientist, and he gives you the RHIB keys.
Which boss gives you the item for the RHIB keys?
The lava whale is the final boss tied to the RHIB keys, and it drops the tail you need to hand in.
What should you do after getting the RHIB keys?
Start the RHIB after receiving the keys from the scientist to watch the ending.
Are the RHIB keys part of finishing How to Fish?
Yes. The “We are so back” achievement is tied to the Island 5 RHIB step after the tail hand-in.
Who gives you the RHIB keys?
The scientist gives you the RHIB keys after you bring him the lava whale’s tail.
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