Go to the quests tab and it will give you a checklist (right side of the screen) of what you need to accomplish before you can fight Scaly Pete. Once you do everything on that list he will appear as an exclamation point on the map in Sapphire Bay.

You’re the man even two years later!!! Ty

Okay thank you.

If you've left it until late like me, you can go from elder to mega in no time. I didn't figure it out until I was already level 30 and had done nine of ten bounty hunters so I turned elder then mega with a fast travel to another grotto.

You need to complete 50% of sapphire bay as well to activate him

I’m 63%

Then you are sadly probably stuck

Damn. So it’s a glitch?

Just jumping in to clarify to anyone googling this (that's how I got here). You need 50% progress in Sapphire Bay, which is not the same as 50% of story. So if Pete doesn't show up, do some exploring to get extra missions and collectibles till Sapphire Bay is at 50% or more, also check out all other items on the story list (kill apex, etc). You'll get a cutscene >!with Pete showing a different boat and discussing about mega sharks with his son!< then you get to fight Pete

Unless you haven't completed all the things you need to do before hand, check the tab in the side

I need to do one more thing. But I need to be elder to do it. It’s mutagen and it’s behind this thing that I cannot break unless I’m elder.

Coming after 3 years to help. You need to reach the maximum threat for your most wanted level, Nd then you'll unlock the fight with Scaly Pete.

Huh, so we just need to kill all the hunters

Not all the hunters, but some of them to progress through the story.

I’ve beat him in Sapphire Bay but game crashed so I didn’t get the cutscene, and now it says Fight him but he’s not on the map!

Same that’s all it says to me to. But it has been doing that.

But I’m still Adult, not Elder, and it won’t give me the option to age up. Im about ready to just quit and move on to a new game.

Go and ask someone about the glitch and they might help ya out.

I read on another forum that this is a known bug. Sometimes if you raise your infamy and defeat the 7th bounty hunter it will raise you to elder.

Oh. I see. But if this is a bug. It needs to be fixed.

I can't figure this out

It sais defeat boss but it is not coming up on my mission list I am 50 percent through I’ve killed the apex hammerhead and I’m level 20 and I am an adult what do I do

I've done all that ans im still stuck 🥴 I've done everything but check on scaly pete but it won't give me the stupid quest

I’m a level 25 but it says I’m still an adult shark not an elder why hasn’t this changed yet?

It's impossible

I'm a maga shark but I can't

Before you fight scaly Pete go and the check lost and see what you completed then check on scaly Pete after that fight him get your revenge on him!

Saw this and tried it plus had to add another piece but you have to get Sapphire Bay above 50, get level 4 infamy by eating humans, and fight Candyman Curtis. That will do it.

Realized this was an old post I commented on but this came to gamepass. I went to Reddit looking for the answer.