Marina is one of the beautiful-but-deadly Mermaids of Whitecap Bay, featured in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. In the final version of the film, she did little to distinguish herself from the other mermaids who attacked the longboat therein.
However, a deleted scene strongly suggests that she knew Jack Sparrow before the encounter and that she has mixed-but-fairly-intense feelings for him.
Background[]
Marina initially appears to be simply another of the alluring, predaceous mermaids who provide great danger for the pirates who are hunting them. However, the deleted scene used in trailers or featurettes indicates that she has a quality that renders her unique; a former relationship with a human.
When Marina sees Jack Sparrow upon surfacing, the two recognize one another. The latter reacts with his typical dread at meeting one of his jilted lovers, while the former delivers a sound slap across his face, a look of keen anguish clearly visible on her own. Taken at face value, this brief scene suggests that she, like Syrena, was capable of loving a human. However, Marina's affections fell upon a less-worthy man than Philip Swift, and thus her heart was broken and she became something of a tragic villainess, not unlike Maleficent.
Abilities[]
- Mermaid Swimming: Marina's mermaid tail enables her to swim more swiftly than an equivalent human being and also to more-effectively perform underwater feats of agility. This ability was not conferred upon Jorgelina Airaldi, however, for her tail was not swimmable like the one worn by Daryl Hannah while she was playing the role of Madison in the 1984 film Splash. Rather, the tails were computer-generated like those of the mermaids in Once Upon a Time.
- Powerful Grip: Marina and her pod exhibit physical strength which is higher than that of a normal human woman. They use this superhuman strength and speed for actions as complex as using lariat cords to ensnare the throats of their victims or as simple as grabbing these victims and pulling them underwater.
- Fangs: Though their torso, arms, and head appear to be those of beautiful young women, Marina and the other mermaids of Whitecap Bay have canine teeth that can extend into fangs at will. It is unknown whether these fangs are venomous or even perhaps blood-draining like those of a vampire, but they are useful when slaying prey.
- Entrancing Song: The mermaids of Whitecap Bay can communicate in the English language, and they use this language to connect more intimately with those who may be affected by their mystical melodies. These melodies often mimic songs known to the mermaids' intended prey so as to calm them with feelings of familiarity. Such standard techniques of lulling combine with the mermaids' siren song to render their targets quite unprepared for their close-range attack.
- Mermaid's Tears: The tears of Marina or her fellow mermaids are a vital component of the ritual used to gain access to the Fountain of Youth. The mermaids are very hesitant to part with them, however, and they are known to be "tough" in refusing to cry under most circumstances. As most of the Mermaids of Whitecap Bay are governed by primeval or negative emotions, their tears tend to be those of pain, anger, or sorrow, however, their rare tears of joy are said to be even more powerful.
- Protective Kiss: A kiss from Marina or the other mermaids is said to protect a sailor from drowning.
Appearances[]
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides[]
In a plan for a ritual at the Fountain of Youth, Blackbeard orders his crew to get tears from a mermaid at Whitecap Bay. Scrum started singing "My Jolly Sailor Bold" to attract mermaids in order to capture one to get tears for the ritual just as Tamara sings to attract Marina and some more mermaids. As the mermaids are revealed to be a trap, Marina and the other mermaids begin attacking the crew. Following a violent battle against the mermaids, Jack Sparrow ignited an explosion at the lighthouse at Whitecap Bay, causing Marina and all the other mermaids to retreat, except for Syrena.
Gallery[]
Promotional Images[]
Screenshots[]
Behind the scenes[]
- There is a scene after Jack Sparrow blows up the lighthouse during the battle at Whitecap Bay, where one of the mermaids appears and slaps Jack's face despite the pirate saying, "Please don't." While the On Stranger Tides screenplay had the scenery and Jack's line, the name "Marina" was not written in the script nor the film's ending credits. The mermaid was only identified through a scene cut from the film, where Jack calls the mermaid by name. It is possible that it was the improvisation of Johnny Depp, the portrayer of Jack, on set. The character was officially named "Marina" in the description of a promotional image for On Stranger Tides. While the scene with Marina does appear in a "Special Look" at On Stranger Tides in the USA channel,[1] a similar featurette uploaded on the official DisneyPirates YouTube channel did not feature Jack revealing the mermaid's name being revealed.[2] While trailers and featurettes tend to show the slap only, the scene actually ends with Marina splashing Jack after the slap as she takes off with the other mermaids.[3]
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Notes and references[]
