The Jade Cacao
The Jade Cacao
Amongst choppy, crystalline waters exists an island more than 20 million years old that conceals an ancestral treasure that only few people know about. It is mentioned in songs simply as the Jade Cacao; a magical stone in the shape of this ancestral fruit, capable of granting true all the wishes of the one who possesses it.
For thousands of years, ocean explorers have searched for this treasure without success, diving to the very depths of the ocean to find it. During their search they’ve encountered a fascinating underwater oasis, inhabited by marvelous and unique creatures such as hammerhead sharks, turtles, crabs, humpback whales, giant manta rays, and whale sharks up to 15 metres long.
Only one map has been found that shows the Jade Cacao at the bottom of the ocean, very close to Malpelo Island. On the back of this map is the ancient legend...
Legend says that there once was an adventurer known as Captain Lök who—tired from sailing the 7 seas—decided to disembark and explore an island known as Malpelo. Upon reaching land and seeing the beautiful, mystical place that he was in, he heard a voice from within that told him: “In this flora and fauna sanctuary exists an ancestral treasure and great wisdom.” Captain Lök felt an invisible and indescribable force that made him sink to his knees. While looking at the ground, he saw a giant sized crab hugging a bottle that had a piece of leather inside. This was the map to a treasure that no one had ever heard of.
Demonstrating his bravery and determination as an explorer, he dived day after day to the depths of the ocean in search of the treasure, all without much success. Nevertheless, during every dive, he was amazed by the incredible variety of marine life that he encountered since he had never seen these majestic creatures in any other place. The pods of humpback whales and a shark that–due to its size and calmness–more closely resembled a whale, grabbed his attention.
Tired and looking at the map trying to decipher its secrets, he noticed some blurred marks similar to a starry sky and the full moon. He decided to wait until nightfall to try it once more. He was surprised by an incandescent green light emanating from the ocean floor. Euphoric, he quickly swam towards the light discovering a cave full of giant turtles, in which he discovered his longed-for treasure: The Jade Cacao.
Over time, Lök discovered that the Jade Cacao was a beautiful gem that fulfilled any wish, no matter what it was. As the days passed, he could feel himself becoming more intelligent and wiser, as if he had lived for more than a thousand years. This made him understand that the treasure was not something to squander by wishing for wealth or power. With this newly acquired wisdom, he did what no one else would have thought to do; he wished to become a spirit that transcends time and space to protect and safeguard the island of Malpelo.
He returned the stone to the bottom of the ocean where it can still be found 'til this day, guarded by hammerhead sharks, turtles, whale sharks, giant crabs, humpback whales, and manta rays endemic to the island. Every time a sailor visits this island and feels the wind blow, it is said that a faint voice is heard within it. According to the legend, the voice heard within the wind is the voice of Captain Lök–The Guardian of Malpelo Island.
