A drawing dated 1740, presumably depicting SCP-2103-JP
Item #: SCP-2103-JP
Object Class: Keter Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: The responsible personnel, in cooperation with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and Japan Coast Guard, are to monitor the waters where SCP-2103-JP is located to ensure that no submarines approach the area; maritime blockade is currently considered unnecessary. Deep-sea exploration robots are to be deployed in the waters within a 1km radius of SCP-2103-JP. In the event that SCP-2103-JP becomes active, a request to dispatch the response team to the nearby Foundation site must be made immediately.
Information regarding the San Servando and Captain José DeJesus is to be monitored by the Foundation — Any information circulated regarding the treasure aboard the San Servando at the time of its sinking must be manipulated to ensure that it is dismissed as false.
Description: SCP-2103-JP is a cephalopod approximately 150m in length. While its outward appearance is similar to that of a normal squid except for its size, it is known to possess a high level of intelligence almost equivalent to that of a human being. It also has features that cannot be explained by modern biology, such as the fact that it requires minimal food and has a prolonged lifespan of at least 300 years or more. SCP-2103-JP has shown an extraordinary obsession with the San Servando, a large sailing ship that sank 250 km off the coast of Argentina in 1719, and in the past had attacked vessels that invaded the waters where the San Servando was sunk. By the time the Foundation became aware of SCP-2103-JP in 1921, at least five ships had been sunk by SCP-2103-JP.
Portrait of José DeJesus
It is believed that the captain of the San Servando, a Spaniard named José DeJesus, possessed anomalous abilities, as evidenced by multiple anecdotes of him merrily chatting with squids and octopi and commanding a gigantic squid at will. Although it is unclear what exactly happened during the sinking in 17191, during which Captain DeJesus was killed, it is suspected that he ordered SCP-2103-JP not to allow anyone to touch the ship's cargo. It is known that the San Servando at the time of the sinking was loaded with precious metals, artwork, and other artifacts worth approximately twenty-three million US dollars in current prices.
While rumors of the San Servando's treasure and the giant squid had circulated since shortly after the sinking, they were not considered worthy of investigation due to the large number of similar rumors and superstitions that existed at the period. However, the sinking of an Argentine Navy battleship by SCP-2103-JP in 1921 brought it to the attention of the media, explorers, and biologists of the Americas. Although the Foundation managed to prevent the public from visiting the location through appropriate cover-ups, Argentine government officials and members of various groups of interest traveled to the affected area to investigate, capture, or terminate SCP-2103-JP, resulting in the loss of three vessels and ninety-four lives. Four days after the battleship was sunk, Foundation personnel visited the location only to find that SCP-2103-JP had already disappeared. SCP-2103-JP was not located despite the Foundation's extensive search operation and was provisionally classified as Keter due to its potential danger.
SCP-2103-JP was rediscovered in July 1961 by a Foundation research submersible engaged in an unrelated mission near Okinotorishima Island, Japan. At the time of discovery, SCP-2103-JP was lying in the deep sea with its eyes closed, almost motionless, despite continued vital activity. The research team's analysis has suggested that SCP-2103-JP may have realized that in modern society its presence would be the center of attention of curious onlookers, media, and anomaly research groups around the world, which could jeopardize the treasure by staying in the vicinity of the sunken vessel. It is currently believed that SCP-2103-JP is simply waiting for its lifespan to expire in the waters near Japan, on the opposite side of the globe from the San Servando. Recovery efforts were deemed unnecessary after weighing the risks involved in leaving SCP-2103-JP in place against the difficulties of securing it, and the current containment procedures were established with the main focus on concealing its existence and related information. Its Object Class has been changed to Euclid in view of the reduced risk.