Can't find Desert/Evergreen Islands

[Prawnsamdi]

I've completed the main story up through Tangoroa, and Varuna Point is the next location on the list. However I wanted to stock up on some titanium and beehives before continuing, but I can't find any desert or evergreen islands anywhere.

Are these island encounters random? do I need to be doing something to encounter them? Why are they so difficult to find?

[Therion]

Mark Balboa Island and from what I remember, when you are close you will find forest islands.

[Therion]

You can find titanium on the islands with the metal detector and the shovel. You can also buy it at the stalls on the big islands.

[CrazyMom]

Keep drifting until Tangaroa re-spawns (receiver set to Tangaroa). Usually you will find between 7 and 10 titanium again as well as much needed strawberries and seeds.
If you set receiver then to Caravan town and it re-spawns, you can stock up on several bees nests again as well as the loot in the drawers and chests. When drifting in "Caravan Town" section of ocean other desert islands will spawn as well.
Same with Balboa for bear forest islands as long as Balboa is selected as target in the receiver.

[galadon3]

What Therion said you need to set the receiver for Balboa or Caravan Town to have evergreen or desert-islands spawn.
And I am rather sure by now that for the evergreen ones you also need to go against the wind like when you approach Balboa itself (that or we had really really weird RNG in our game.)

[Derpykat5]

The kinds of large islands that spawn are entirely dependent on what story island your receiver is targeting. If you target anything before Balboa, you get green grass islands with birds and boars. If you target Balboa or Caravan Town you get brown grass islands with bears and bees. If you want to find different kinds of islands, change what story island your receiver is set to.

[Samuel Mumm]

Originally posted by Prawnsamdi:

I've completed the main story up through Tangoroa, and Varuna Point is the next location on the list. However I wanted to stock up on some titanium and beehives before continuing, but I can't find any desert or evergreen islands anywhere.

Are these island encounters random? do I need to be doing something to encounter them? Why are they so difficult to find?

bees are only found on balboa island so if you want bees you have to build a bugnet or two and take them with you on that island. mostly where bears are are bees too but they should be easy to spot because they look like an swarm of insects like flys at first but that are bees

[CrazyMom]

Bees are also found on evergreen islands when you drift while having Balboa as a target in the receiver.
Bees also are found on Caravan island and the large desert islands while drifting with Caravan as the target in the receiver.