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POTCRideSingingPirates
"I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew.
We'll sing it all the time!"
This article covers material from Disney Parks attractions around the world, including Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean.
Therefore, the factual accuracy of this article or section is disputed.
Please see this article's talk page to discuss possible changes.

"Markey, the Dead Man's Cove on the starboard side ahead."
―Unknown[src]

Dead Man's Cove, also known as Dead Man's Grotto, Pirates Grotto or simply the Grotto, was a mysterious and haunted sea cave located in Isla Tesoro. Referred to as a graveyard of lost souls, this subterranean passageway was known for the cursed treasure which pirates have died for that was hidden within the caverns. Many of these buccaneers met a brutal fate, forever silenced to keep the location of the booty a secret. Filled with waterfalls, the grotto had a beach littered with the pirates' skeleton remains, a ghost ship sailing in a storm-tossed lagoon, glittering troves of ill-gotten treasures, and a ghostly grotto. This haunted realm, where a ghostly voice admonishes, "Dead men tell no tales," recalled the struggles pirates endured on the open seas.

History[]

"Dead men tell no tales!"
Ghostly voice[src]

The history behind Dead Man's Cove is shrouded in mystery. Raging waterfalls led into this dark and mysterious grotto, which served as a graveyard of haunted caverns. Through this subterranean passageway, a ghostly voice could be heard uttering the eerie warning, "Dead men tell no tales." Within the grotto lied a beach littered with skeleton remains of pirates who fell short in their search for buried treasure, shown undisturbed where they lay as crabs crawl around. One skeleton pirate can be seen having been stabbed in the back, while another skeletal pirate had a seagull make a nest on the dead pirate's hat. Further along, there were more skeletons engaged in pursuits like steering a ship's wheel or drinking wine. Deeper in the caves, there were dead pirate skeletons that were seen reviewing treasure maps or fondling with the treasure itself. All the while, the harpsichord accompanies the rousing strains of a famous pirate chantey.[3]

There were legends of a cursed treasure that lied within the caves. Many buccaneers met a brutal fate, forever silenced by the blade to keep the location of the booty a secret. Pretty baubles and a king's ransom in gold, it seemed as blood money as the treasure cavern was filled edge to edge with sparkling jewels, piles of gold, and all types of trinkets and art. Seated atop this cache of plundered wealth was a skeletal pirate to remind visitors that even the finest riches and wealth were no match for death, which was the only reward any of these pirates could count on. Past the treasure-filled caves, the grotto narrowed into a tunnel shrouded in mist as ghostly voices could be heard echoing through the cavern, giving visitors an eerie warning of an ancient curse.[3]

Locations[]

Hurricane Lagoon[]

WaltDisneyPOTCHurricaneLagoon

Hurricane Lagoon.

"What terror lurks in the mind o' stout 'arted seamen...battling the angry seas?"
―Unknown[src]

Going through the grotto, a ghastly skeleton could be seen clutching the the helm of a ghost ship, with its rotting boards smashed on the rocky grotto shore in the stormy night sky. Shredded sails and old cargo remains scattered throughout the site of the wreck as the lone skeleton was doomed to eternally pilot the ship, dead set on steering his vessel into any port in this particular storm.

Crew's Quarters[]

POTCRideDrinkingSkeletons

Crew's Quarters.

"No fear have ye of evil curses, says you? Arrrgh... Properly warned ye be, says I. Who knows when that evil curse will strike the greedy beholders of this bewitched treasure?"
Ghostly voice[src]

Moving onward, visitors pass the "Crew's Quarters," a salty hangout where two skeletal pirates appear to have died enjoying their rum and wine. Pirates seemed to have once used this old inn as a homestead, as signs hanging nearby read "Stow yer weapons" and "Thar Be No Place Like Home!" Decorated with remnants from old ships and vessels, this hideaway was adorned with liquor, glassware, and lush artwork. One of which was painting picturing a lusty redhead wielding a pirate's blade, drinking nectar supplied by a cherub with a devilish grin.

Captain's Quarters[]

WaltDisneyPOTCCaptainsQuarters

Captain's Quarters.

"A man o' delicate taste, the cap'n—'is quarters rigged with the finest furnishin's money did not buy."
―Unknown[src]

Drifting onward, visitors pass the finely appointed private quarters of this skeleton crew's captain. There lied what remains of a skeletal Pirate Captain reading in bed, inside an ornate, subterranean chamber, surrounded by the spoils of a lifetime of treachery and ill-gotten gains. The bony buccaneer holding a magnifying glass over his reading material, a treasure map, while a nearby harpsichord plays a melancholy rendering of a famous pirate chantey. The captain was known to be a "man of delicate taste", mainly because his quarters was rigged with the finest furnishings money didn't buy.

Treasure Room[]

WaltDisneyPOTCTreasureRoom

Treasure Room.

"Pretty baubles—and a king's ransom in gold. Aye, blood money and cursed it be."
―Unknown[src]

Near the end of the grotto lied a "cursed treasure" consisting of pretty baubles and a king's ransom in gold. Indeed, the treasure cavern was filled edge to edge with sparkling jewels, piles of gold, and all types of trinkets and art. Seated atop this cache of plundered wealth was a skeletal pirate to remind visitors that even the finest riches and wealth were no match for death, which was the only reward any of these pirates could count on. Many buccaneers met a brutal fate, forever silenced by the blade to keep the location of the booty a secret.

Ghostly Grotto[]

"Perhaps ye knows too much... ye've seen the cursed treasure, you know where it be hidden. Now proceed at your own risk. These be the last 'friendly' words ye'll hear."
Ghostly voice[src]
Dead Man's Cove Octopus 2018

A trapped figure in the Ghostly Grotto.

While sailing past the amazing treasure, the grotto narrowed into a tunnel shrouded in mist as ghostly voices echo through the cavern. As visitors sail through the misty cavern, these voices warn of an evil curse, that they may not survive to pass this way again, and that dead men tell no tales. The skeletal remains of a pirate trapped in a snare trying to steal the treasure shifts back into a fleshy form while sea creatures play with the loot.

Behind the scenes[]

"If ye be brave enough to proceed, the curse of Dead Man's Grotto awaits ye..."
Ghostly voice[src]
  • Dead Man's Cove first appeared in Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, having first been identified by name in Thurl Ravenscroft's 1966 narration recorded for the ride.[4] Though it would be commonly known as "Dead Man's Grotto", "Pirates Grotto" or simply the "Grotto", the name "Dead Man's Cove" would still be used in Jason Surrell's 2005 book Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies,[1] as well as Jeremy Fulton's 2006 map of Isla Tesoro at Disneyland.[5]
  • Most of what was seen in Dead Man's Cove was put into Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. This includes the treasure-filled caverns, the actions of several of the pirate skeletons, and the "crabs on the beach' vignette with the stabbed skeleton.
  • Over the years, the Dead Man's Cove of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride would receive several changes.
    MermaidAtPOTCRide

    A mermaid skeleton in Dead Man's Cove.

    • In the 2006 revamp of the ride, the stone chest from the first film would appear in the "Treasure Room" sequence, and the misty cavern was also replaced by a waterfall that showed a visage of Davy Jones; in 2011, Blackbeard temporarily replaced Davy Jones until the end of the year, in which he only appeared in the Magic Kingdom version. Later on, the ghostly visages of both characters took turns at appearing in the waterfall. The mist effect was removed from the Disneyland version during its 2018 refurbishment and replaced with the original ghostly voices and a new vignette of a pirate trapped in a net while clutching a chest full of treasure near an octopus that was grabbing some treasure using its tentacles. As the boats pass the scene, the pirate appears to transform from a skeleton to a living pirate, signifying that guests were traveling further back in time to when the pirates were alive and well. It was reported that the effect was officially removed from the Disney World version in May 2019.[6]
    • In 2012, mermaids would appear in the ride at Walt Disney World; by a shape splashing in the water near the skeletons on a beach, where a mermaid skeleton lies with them. An audio of My Jolly Sailor Bold can also be heard at this part of the ride. This lasted until 2018, when the scene was restored to its original form.
  • Unlike the other parks, the Magic Kingdom version of the ride doesn't have the Crew's Quarters, Captain's Quarters, or Treasure Room sequences.
  • In the Disneyland Paris version of the ride, the Dead Man's Cove appears near the end instead of the beginning.
  • In the 2013 game Disney Infinity, there is a location called "Dead Man's Cove", but it is unknown if it's the same as in the original attraction or if it's a new version that only appears in the game.
  • Dead Man's Grotto appears in the non-canon video game Sea of Thieves where it's located on a haunted island in the Sea of the Damned.

Appearances[]

Wiki
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Sources[]

Notes and references[]

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