Whitecap Bay

"Aye, Whitecap Bay. Every worthless seamen fears the name, and rightly so. Though few know why or dare to ask." "Be the stories true?" "Say what robs you of your staunch heart Gibbs, or forever leave it to the whiter fields of fancy." "...Mermaids, captain?"

- Hector Barbossa and Joshamee Gibbs

Whitecap Bay, referred to as Mermaid waters, was a large bay on an a mysterious island. The bay was most recognizable as one of the few places that mermaids could be found, particularly in legends concerning the Fountain of Youth.

Mermaid nesting
"Mermaid waters, that be our path."

- Hector Barbossa to his crew

Whitecap Bay was mainly known to be where mermaids gather for hundreds of years, notably for attacking passing ships and sailors. Stories made concerning mermaids in this mystical place strike terror in the heart of all sailors and pirates, even if it's just a brief mention of it.

The remote lighthouse at Whitecap Bay is of an ancient design and made by the English. In front of a whale oil-fired becon stands a convex lens. The becon doubles as a harbour light.

First mermaid attack
"The old moon is in the arms of the new one. First of the summer. Perfect for hunting a mermaid's tear."

- Angelica to Jack Sparrow

During the quest for the Fountain of Youth, Blackbeard journeyed to Whitecap Bay with Jack Sparrow, Angelica and many other of his crewmen to capture a mermaid. Mermaids were drawn to man-made light, so Salaman fixed the lighthouse where it could light up and aimed it on the longboats in the water. In the longboat, Philip Swift, Scrum, Derrick, Purser, Ezekiel and the Cabin boy were used as bait. Scrum was forced to sing, by the zombie crewmen Gunner, to lure the mermaids out. Scrum would sing the sea shanty My Jolly Sailor Bold for an hour until Tamara appears.

Tamara continues singing Scrum's song, which attracts more mermaids to surround the longboat. The mermaids try to seduce the pirates, which ends with Tamara showing her true form to Scrum. A fierce battle breaks out between the mermaids and the pirates. Blackbeard and his crew attempt to lure the mermaids into the shallows where others are waiting with nets to capture them. However, the mermaids started using seaweed lassos to haul the pirates out of reach into the water. Jack ran up to the top of the lighthouse and lights up the whale oil, causing the lighthouse to explode, scaring the mermaids and saving the remaining crew. Shortly after the battle, Blackbeard's crewmen were able to capture a young mermaid.

Second mermaid attack
"Whitecap Bay, sir. We must hasten&mdash;"

- Theodore Groves to Hector Barbossa prior to another mermaid attack

Later, Hector Barbossa, Joshamee Gibbs, Theodore Groves, Gillette and most of the crew of the HMS Providence would later come ashore during a storm. Barbossa and Groves would examine a mermaid's corpse. Suddenly the mermaids returned and attacked the HMS Providence off the coast. Groves thought that they should save the men aboard, but Barbossa denied it and had them continue their journey on foot. Before they had their heading, they had to watch the Providence sunk, along with most of the crew, by the mermaids. The remainder of the Providence's crewmen continued the journey towards the jungle-infested areas of the island.

It is unknown if anyone attempted to venture to Whitecap Bay again.

Behind the scenes

 * Whitecap Bay was filmed in two locations for On Stranger Tides. The scene where Hector Barbossa and his crew are ashore was filmed in Halona Cove in Oahu, Hawaii. The scene where the mermaid attack against Blackbeard's crew occurred was in a set built in Universal Studios in Los Angeles, CA.


 * Other than Whitecap Bay, mermaids also lived in Isla Sirena.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
 * LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: Master of the Seas