Pantano River

Pantano River is a location featured in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, introduced in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
==Background==
Located somewhere in Cuba, Pantano River consists of various dark and mysterious swamps, often inhabited by reptiles (particularly alligators) or carnivorous plants (such as flytraps). Located in the swamp is a Bayou inhabited by various fireflies as well as various swamp people living in throughout the swampland lined with overhanging trees and rickety lean-tosBring Me That Horizon: The Making of Pirates of the Caribbean (p. 105). This swamp is also home to a shack which belonged to Tia Dalma, a voodoo priestess who is located in a distant part of the swamp.
===Development===
The Pantano River in Dead Man's Chest was inspired by the Indian River, a set of shallow water that flows into the ocean at Portsmouth connecting to the northeast part of Dominica (a location explored by Christopher Columbus in the 15th century) which was lined with bloodwood trees (Terra carpus officinalis). This location was recreated on Stage 2 at the Walt Disney Studios in California. As the largest set built on stage, this scene was used as a magical evocation of a Caribbean swampland river, which was used a praise to the original Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at DisneylandDead Man's Chest press kit.
==Points of interest==
*Cypress Forest: Located within the cypress is a shack inhabited by Tia Dalma who found her way throughout the dark forest in a swamp. People who arrive there would paddle up to the mouth of the Pantano River throughout a swamp. This forest is also home to a variety of wildlife such as alligators as well as a group of swamp people who watch adventurers sail from the riverbanks.
*Tia Dalma's Shack: This shack is perched ontop of a tree in the mouth of the Pantano River inhabited by Tia Dalma, a voodoo priestess. The shack is seen hanging onto the branches of a tree located within the swamp. Although the shack glows brightly, it seems to absorb the light out of the dark forest in the bayou.
==Appearances==
===Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest===
On a search for the Dead Man's Chest, Jack Sparrow and his fellow crew sailed across the Pantano River to negotiate with Tia Dalma who is in her shack so that she could help Jack and his crew finding the key to spare him a fate of servitude to Davy Jones. While Jack seemed to know where he was going, he held tight on the rope, feeling uncomfortable of his journey across the swamp, much to his fellow crewmen frightened, but they became worried of Jack's strange behavior. To Jack's courage, he became unsure after Joshamee Gibbs told Jack to watch his back. Even though Jack flattered Tia Dalma, she gave a smile at Will Turner soon as he entered the shack.
After the meeting, Jack's crew followed their captain down the shack's ladder just as they board their longboats, although they had a strange feeling that this would not be their last visit to the forest; this was later evidenced after Jack sacrificed himself and the Black Pearl to the Kraken in order to save his crew. A group of swamp people held a vigil in honor of Jack's sacrifice just as Jack's crew arrived back at the swamp.
By the time Jack's crew returned to the shack, Tia Dalma stated that there is a possible way to save Jack by travelling to the World's End. Hector Barbossa, who is revealed to have been resurrected by Tia Dalma, leads the crew to help find Jack who was later rescued during the events of At World's End. It is unknown what happened to the shack after Calypso was released from Tia Dalma's body following the Fourth Brethren Court.
==Trivia==
*The Pantano River set drew a visit from the late X Atencio, who wrote the script for the original attraction as well as the lyrics for the song "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)". During his visit, the production team for Dead Man's Chest brought a red carpet to honor him with his own director's chair alongside Jerry Bruckheimer, Gore Verbinski, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and many other members of the cast and crew paying an homage.Dead Man's Chest press kit
*The Pantano River was inspired by the Blue Bayou area at the original Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland. Additionally, the river that leads to Tia Dalma's shack was also referred to as "The Bayou"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide (p. 56-57).
*Pantano is the Italian word for "mud" and the Spanish word for "swamp" (the latter word which fits its name due to the area set in a swamp).
==References==
==External links==
*Pantano River on Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki.
Category:Pirates of the Caribbean locations