Ramón returns to La Paz and gives the pearl back to the Madonna, putting it in the hands of the statue where he believes it belongs.The news of the pearl travels fast through Kino's small village. In doing so, he is caught by a frayed rope and dragged down into the depths of the ocean to drown. Eventually, the Sevillano harpoons the manta ray and attempts to kill it. On their way, a giant manta ray that Ramón believes to be the Manta Diablo begins stalking them. Ruiz insists on going together to Guaymas to sell the pearl. He tries to return the pearl to the lagoon but is intercepted by Ruiz, who wants to steal the pearl himself. Only the Sevillano survives, and Ramón wonders if the black pearl is truly cursed. However, while out on their next expedition, the entire Salazar fleet sinks when a storm hits. When the fleet returns, Blas attempts to sell the pearl for a great profit however, the other dealers mock Blas about his previous failed attempt at selling a pearl in Mexico City, and Blas decides to give the pearl to the church to spite them.īy donating the pearl to the Madonna, Blas believes that he has traded temporary profit for the safety of his fleet and the prolonged wealth of the Salazar family. Ramón instead returns to La Paz, where he is met with a crowd of townsfolk desperate to catch a glimpse of the giant pearl. Luzon refuses to even touch the giant black pearl, insisting that Ramón return it to the sea.

On the fourth day of diving, Ramón finds one-the “Pearl of Heaven”-while in the cave. Ramón is desperate to find a giant pearl and disregards Luzon’s warnings. Luzon takes him to his lagoon and teaches him about the dangers of the ocean he warns Ramón to stay quiet while he dives, because the Manta Diablo, a mythical evil and gigantic manta ray, lives in a cave in the lagoon. Driven by his ambition, Ramón convinces Soto Luzon, an indigenous man and prolific pearl seller, to teach him how to dive for pearls. Ramón is eager to win this unspoken competition of strength to impress his father. The Sevillano is a liar and a braggart, often mocking Ramón for his weakness and inability to dive. Salazar’s strongest diver is Gaspar Ruiz, also known as “the Sevillano” to the townsfolk. Blas is one of the town’s most famous pearl dealers and owns a fleet of ships that often depart to dive for pearls.

The novel begins shortly after its narrator Ramón Salazar’s 16th birthday, when he becomes business partners with his father Blas in the pearl trade. The setting of The Black Pearl is La Paz-a town along the Baja peninsula on the coast of the Vermilion Sea.

The black pearl steinbeck