Mary Oceaneer

**Captain Mary Oceaneer** is a seafaring treasure hunter that can be found at the Oceaneer Lab aboard two of the Disney Cruise Line ships and Miss Adventure Falls at Typhoon Lagoon.

## History

### 19th century

Captain Mary Oceaneer was a sailor and treasure-hunter with a keen interest in piracy who was active in the 19th century. On July 30th, 1898 she launched an experimental flagship known as the RV Oceaneer Lab to set out from England for discovery and science. The Oceaneer Lab was equipped with an impressive assortment of diving equipment used for nautical studies and treasure-hunting. By her side was a pet parrot named Salty who she held such an affection for that she built him a customized scuba-suit to bring him on underwater adventures.

At an unknown point in time she became one of the few women to have become a member of the 19th century roster of the *Society of Explorers and Adventurers*. One of her notable contributions within the society was the creation of a map identifying many great beasts of the Mediterranean ocean, including those of cryptid and mythical status in-addition to her detailing the *Nautilus* submarine of one Captain Nemo. In 1899 she attended a meeting of SEA at the Hotel Hightower in New York not long before her host Harrison Hightower III was killed by the wrathful deity Shiriki Utundu. This same year, she traversed the the Orinoco River in South America on a river-expedition which was complicated by her having been shot at with arrows.

### 20th century

On the December 5 of 1901, Oceaneer took the R.V. Oceaneer Lab to the isle of Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. On a deep sea dive to a sunken pirate wreck resulted in a favourite golden sword and buried treasure was found on Castaway Cay some time after.

Around this same period of time she was running an archaeological operation on the South American island of *Shipwreck* to excavate the 18th century pirate-haven *Shipwreck Cove* which once served as base for the infamous Brethren Court. Among the artifacts which she would recover around this period were the Dead Man's Chest, a metal chest which once possessed the heart of the sea-god Davy Jones and his successor William Turner. Oceaneer also excavated the sunken island of Isla de Muerta where she excavated a cursed Aztec gold which she avoided the curse of via handling with prongs.

Years later Mary had a new vessel known as the M.S. Salty IV, named for her beloved pet. Salty himself was absent during this period of time (potentially lost, retired or deceased) and was replaced by an old parrot with an Irish accent named Duncan. By this time, Oceaneer had been able to study the lost nation of Atlantis, even being able to communicate in the Atlantean language. Mary had acquired a great reputation for herself, being celebrated as a, "collector and protector of deep sea antiquities" in the divers' magazine *Under the S.E.A. Quarterly*, having become president of the organization in 1915. On August 19, 1921, Dr. Albert Falls received the "Hightower Spirit of Adventure" award, signed by Mary Oceaneer.

In 1955, Mary traveled to the tropical region known as Blustery Bay. However, Mary got caught in a hurricane which hit the bay and launched her, Duncan, and the M.S. Salty IV in the seaside port of Placid Palms at a water feature known as *Miss Adventure Falls* not far from the volcanic Mount Mayday. The storm split the ship in half and sent large artifacts from a recent Mesoamerican voyage into the trees while the rest of their treasure was scattered throughout the bay. Mary used the opportunity to officially retire and she and Duncan established a salvage effort to recover the wreckage of the ship, with Duncan being preoccupied with his crackers.

Oliver Ocean, Mary's grandson, would continue the family legacy within S.E.A. in the 21st century, though he shortened the name out of personal embarassment over it.

## Appearances and allusions

### Oceaneer Lab

The Oceaneer Lab, a kids activity area aboard the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder is themed as the interior of Mary's research vessel, featuring paintings telling her story and artifacts from many of her adventures.

### Miss Adventure Falls

At this Typhoon Lagoon raft ride representing the wreck of the M.S. Salty IV and artifact recovery effort, Mary's voice can be heard in the attraction safety spiel, with a framed magazine cover in the queue visually introducing her and Duncan to guests. Beach chairs for Mary and Duncan also indicate that she's not in too big of a rush to leave.

### Mystic Manor

Mary's first appearance was in artwork produced for the queue of Mystic Manor, appearing in a portrait at the helm of a ship caught in a storm and in the SEA group portrait.

### Skipper Canteen

Mary has contributed a map charting Legendary Beasts of the Mediterranean to the SEA meeting room and two books to the library: *Parrots as Pets*and*Charting Course.* Her membership fez can also be found in a display case alongside several others.

### Tropical Hideaway

Mary has left an expedition paddle at the restaurant from an 1899 expedition down the Orinoco River in South America.

### Shinji Takahashi: Into the Heart of the Storm

Onboard Captain Mano's ship *Seas the Days*, there is a portrait of Mary Ocean, much to the embarrassment of her grandson Oliver Ocean.

## Connections

### 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The Nautilus can also be seen on a map made by Mary Oceaneer from the possession of Dr. Albert Falls, showing the submarine being wrangled by a giant squid.

### Disney films

* **Atlantis: The Lost Empire**: It is shown that Mary Oceaneer was both aware of the existence of Atlantis and could write in Atlantean. This is evidenced by Oceaneer's personal diving-bell at Typhoon Lagoon having, "I come in peace" written on its front in the Atlantean language.
* **The Little Mermaid**: Ursula's contract and Ariel's "snarflblatt" from The Little Mermaid (1989) are amongst Oceaneer's collection.

### Pirates of the Caribbean

In the Oceaneer Lab, many of Oceaneer's artifacts come from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise including the Dead Man's Chest of Davy Jones. There are also crates which indicate that she performs excavations from Shipwreck Cove and Isla de Muerta, locations from the films.

### Tower of Terror

In the lab are newspapers from when the Hotel Hightower opened, a newspaper detailing Hightower's disappearance, and the portrait of the S.E.A. within Hotel Hightower from before Harrison's demise.

### World of Motion

Mary's Skipper Canteen map features the, "Kimballum Horriblus" sea-serpent from this defunct attraction as a legendary creature of the Mediterranean. In the original attraction this creature terrorized the historic Italian/Spanish colonist Cristoforo Colombo who in the Parks' mythos was an honorary member of S.E.A..

## Trivia

* Due to Typhoon Lagoon's ambiguous timeline, it is unknown when the storm occurred and as-such, when Mary would have been marooned in the lagoon outside of it almost definitely occurring in the 20th century. Although, an old draft for Pleasure Island had the storm occur in 1955 so it is possible it occurred then.
	+ Jock Lindsey and Captain Mary Oceaneer are the two members of S.E.A. who exist chronologically furthest on the timeline, having both been active in the 1950s.
* Given how Mary was likely somewhere between her 20s and 40s as shown in her 1899 portrait within Mystic Manor, it is likely that she was born at some point roughly between 1860 and 1880.

## References

1. ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2018/12/photos-video-take-an-in-depth-tour-of-disneylands-new-tiki-room-jungle-cruise-restaurant-the-tropical-hideaway/
2. ↑ http://www.fromscreentotheme.com/FunFindFridayDisneyMagic1.aspx