You’re wandering around the docks of Novigrad, probably looking for a fast way to Skellige or just trying to offload some monster hides, when you hear a voice. It’s Nidas. He’s an old guy, a veteran, and he looks like he’s seen better days. He wants you to find a pearl. Not just any pearl, but a black one. Honestly, at first glance, the Black Pearl Witcher 3 quest feels like one of those "filler" missions that open-world games use to pad out their runtime.
But it’s not.
Most players expect a simple fetch-and-reward cycle. You swim, you grab the shiny thing, you get paid. Simple, right? Except CD Projekt Red doesn't really do "simple." This quest is a masterclass in how to punch a player in the gut using nothing but a few lines of dialogue and a 10-crown reward. It’s about aging, memory loss, and the absolute futility of trying to fix a broken mind with a pretty trinket.
Starting the Hunt: Where to Find Nidas
You’ll usually stumble upon this quest behind The Golden Sturgeon inn in Novigrad. Look for the yellow exclamation mark. Nidas tells you this romantic story about a promise he made to his wife, Letta, years ago. He wants to give her a black pearl, the kind you can only find in the dangerous waters of Skellige.
If you're still early in the game, you can’t finish this right away. You’ve basically got to wait until you actually reach Skellige through the main storyline.
Meeting in Skellige
Once you’ve finally made the trip across the sea—and hopefully survived the shipwreck—you’ll find Nidas waiting for you. He’s hanging out near a collapsed bridge north of Arinbjorn. It’s a bit of a trek, and frankly, you might forget about him while you're busy hunting giants or deciding who should sit on the Skelligan throne.
Don't forget him, though. The quest is notoriously finicky. If you ignore the marker for too long once it appears in Skellige, some players have reported it just vanishing.
The Part That Actually Makes People Mad
Here is the deal: Geralt has to do the heavy lifting. You dive into the freezing water while Nidas watches from the shore. You’ll probably have to swat away a few Sirens. Using your Witcher Senses, you’re looking for a specific oyster shell. It’s usually the one furthest from the shore.
The "Black Pearl" itself looks like a piece of dirty glass in your inventory. But the real challenge isn't the diving. It’s the return trip.
The Drowner Bug (and How to Beat It)
As you swim back, a pack of Drowners spawns right on top of Nidas. This is where most people fail the quest. Nidas has the health bar of a wet paper towel. On higher difficulties like Death March, or if you’re playing on New Game Plus (NG+), these Drowners can one-shot him before Geralt even touches the sand.
I've seen people lose their minds over this.
Pro tip: Don’t just swim slowly. If you’re struggling, try staying underwater until you’re practically at the shore to delay the spawn. Or, use the "Sign Menu" trick. Holding the menu open slows down time but lets your momentum carry you forward. As soon as you hit the beach, spam Igni or Aard like your life depends on it. Well, like Nidas’s life depends on it.
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If he dies, the quest fails. No second chances unless you reload a save.
The Heartbreaking Truth in Novigrad
After you save Nidas from becoming Drowner bait, he realizes he forgot his wallet. Classic. He tells you to meet him back at The Golden Sturgeon in Novigrad for your pay.
When you finally catch up with him, the tone shifts. He isn't the romantic old man anymore; he’s just tired. You find out that Letta, his wife, has what we would call Alzheimer’s or dementia. She doesn't recognize him. She doesn't remember the promise. The black pearl, which he spent his life’s savings and nearly his life to get, meant absolutely nothing to her.
"Even the fulfillment of a promise that had forged the foundation of their relationship failed to put a smile on her lips."
He gives you 10 crowns.
Ten. Crowns.
That’s barely enough to buy a loaf of bread and a cheap beer in this game. But that’s the point. The reward isn't the money. The "Black Pearl Witcher 3" experience is about the realization that some things can't be fixed by a Witcher. You can kill a Griffin, you can lift a curse from a striga, but you can't kill time, and you can't kill old age.
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Why This Quest Matters in 2026
In an era where most RPGs focus on "The Chosen One" saving the universe, this tiny side quest stands out because it’s so human. It’s miserable. It’s unfair. It’s exactly what the world of The Witcher is supposed to be.
It reminds us that Geralt’s world is moving on. People are getting old and dying from things that aren't monsters. For a lot of players, this quest hits home because they’ve dealt with dementia in real life. It’s one of the few times where the game doesn't give you a "good" ending option. You did your job perfectly, and it still ended in sadness.
Quick Checklist for Completion
- Level Recommended: 13 (though you can do it later).
- Pre-requisite: Must have access to Skellige.
- Location 1: Behind The Golden Sturgeon (Novigrad).
- Location 2: North of Arinbjorn (Skellige).
- The "Pearl": Found in a shell in the search zone; usually the furthest one out.
- The Fight: Protect Nidas from 3 Drowners immediately after swimming back.
- The Reward: 25 XP and a measly 10 Crowns.
Practical Steps for Your Playthrough
If you're about to tackle this, make sure you save before you talk to Nidas in Skellige. If those Drowners glitch out or kill him too fast, you’ll want that reload point. Also, don't sell the black pearl if you find one randomly in the world earlier—you specifically need the quest version found in the Skellige shell for the dialogue to trigger correctly.
Once you finish, take a second to just sit in the Sturgeon. It's a reminder that even for a legendary Witcher, some battles are lost before they even start.
Your Next Step: If you found the emotional weight of this quest interesting, you should head to the notice board in Oreton. Look for the "Missing Miners" contract. It offers a similar moral gray area that forces you to choose between Witcher duty and human empathy.