Captain Mary Oceaneer

**Captain Mary Oceaneer** is a character from the Disney Parks who is affiliated with the *Tower of Terror*'s story. She first appeared in *Mystic Manor* but is a central character in the *Oceaneer Lab* and *Oceaneer Club* features of the Disney Cruise Line, and *Miss Adventure Falls* attraction of Typhoon Lagoon.

## History

### Biography

#### Origins

Captain Mary Oceaneer was an English woman who was a sailor, oceanographer and treasure-hunter in the latter-half of the 19th century. She had a love of the golden age of piracy and frequently travelled with a beloved pet parrot named Salty whom she even provided with a custom scuba-suit. At some point in time she became a member of the *Society of Explorers and Adventurers*, being one of the few women in the group's history. One of her contributions to the society was the creation of a map showing legendary creatures of the Mediterranean.

On July 30, 1898 she launched a hybrid sailing/steam-ship hybrid known as the R.V. Oceaneer Lab from a port in England. In 1899 she went on an expedition on the Orinoco river in South America when she was attacked by an unknown third-party which shot arrows at her. On the December 31 of that year she attended a S.E.A. meeting in the Hotel Hightower at a New Year's Eve party thrown by fellow society-member Harrison Hightower III. That night, Harrison was killed by his stolen idol the Shiriki Utundu and the hotel was subsequently closed down.

#### Archaeology

On the December 5 of 1901 she took the RV Oceaneer Lab to the island of Castaway Cay in the Bahamas where on an underwater excavation she found a gold hilted, bejewelled sword that formerly belonged to a pirate of the Caribbean. Mary took this sword and kept it as her favourite personal garment. Around this point of time she also began running an archaeological operation on the South American island of *Shipwreck* which held the remains of *Shipwreck Cove*, an 18th century pirate-haven which served as the headquarters for the pirate's Brethren Court during its war against the East-India Trading Company.

#### Typhoon Lagoon

Following unknown circumstances, Mary no-longer used the RV Oceaneer Lab with Salty also becoming absentee in her life (likely having died, gone missing and/or retired). Mary replaced the Oceaneer Lab with four vessels known respectively as the MS Salty I, II, III and IV. Mary also travelled with a new parrot companion known as Duncan. By this point in time she also became well acquainted with studying the lost continent of Atlantis, even being able to communicate in the Atlantean language. A celebrated adventurer, Mary was featured in the diver's magazine *Under the S.E.A. Quarterly* around the 1940s/1950s.

Circa 1955, Mary and Duncan travelled to the tropical Blustery Bay aboard the M.S. Salty IV when the port was hit by a massive hurricane. Their ship was swept up and dropped in a port west of the bay known as Placid Palms that was built around the volcanic Typhoon Lagoon. With their treasure scattered across the bay, Mary and Duncan set up shop in the wreckage of the *MS Salty IV* nearby the water-feature Miss Adventure Falls where they worked to excavate they lost treasure.

## Tower of Terror connections

### Tower of Terror

Captain Mary Oceaneer was a contemporary of Harrison Hightower III and attended the Hotel Hightower on the day of his disappearance to celebrate him having stolen Shiriki Utundu from the Indigenous Mtundu tribe. A portrait of this is hung in Mystic Manor and can also be found in Disneyland's Bengal Barbecue restaurant. In the Oceaneer Lab are copies of *the New York Globe Telegraph* reporting on the opening of Hotel Hightower and the disappearance of Harrison Hightower III. In the Skipper Canteen there is a certificate for the, "Hightower Spirit of Adventure Award" granted by Mary Oceaneer to british colonist Dr. Albert Falls on the August 19 of 1921.

### Other connections

#### Expedition Everest

In a post-card to Alberta Falls, Oceaneer mentions sending members of the society to the Forbidden Mountain of Anandapur on an expedition to search for Dr. Albert Falls. This excerpt reads as, "*However, i am hearing some strange stories from the Forbidden Mountain near Anandapur.  I’m leading some members to investigate. On the way back maybe they can bring back a decent cup of tea.*".

#### Jungle Cruise

A post-card from Oceaneer to Jungle Navigation Company president Alberta Falls is visible in the Magic Kingdom version of the ride. The post-card identifies Oceaneer as leading an expedition to search for missing British colonizer, Dr. Albert Falls. Oceaneer is also connected to Falls in having given him the Hightower Spirit of Adventure award, visited his colonial jungle mansion where she left her fez, and there being a map made by her in said manor.

#### Mystic Manor

A portrait in Mystic Manor shows Mary in attendance of Harrison Hightower III's SEA meeting from the New Year's Eve of 1899.

## Appearances

### Bengal Barbecue

A miniature version of the 1899 portrait of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers is present on a shelf in this restaurant, seemingly from the possession of her fellow SEA-member Prof. R. Blauerhimmel.

### Oceaneer Lab

Oceaneer is the namesake and fictional captain of the boat which this area on the Disney Cruiseline is themed to.

### Tropical Hideaway

An oar commemorating Mary's 1899 voyage on the Orinoco river is hung up in the Tropical Hideaway.

## Trivia

* Mary's map in the Skipper Canteen features different Disney references such as the Nautilus and Giant Squid from *20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* and sea-serpent from EPCOT's *World of Motion*.
* Some of the properties which Oceaneer is connected to have looser connections to the Tower of Terror:
	+ Another notable individual caught in Blustery Bay's hurricane was one Trader Sam, alleged grandson of Harrison Hightower III's right-hand-man Billamongawonga.
	+ The *RV Oceaneer Lab* contains artifacts from The Little Mermaid (1989) such as Ariel's Snarflblatt and contract with Ursula. The characters of the Little Mermaid are featured in Paradise Pier, the Buena Vista Bugle, and Fantasmic!.
	+ Oceaneer's diving-bell was adorned with Atlantean writing from *Atlantis: The Lost Empire* (2001), a film also referenced in stories from Camp Discovery's *First International News*.

## 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. ↑ https://twitter.com/Attractions/status/1082384534384062464/photo/1
3. ↑ https://www.disneytouristblog.com/trader-sams-backstory-details/