Unbeknownst to most historians, Shamans were often brought aboard these vessels as celestial navigators and healers. It was not unusual for ships to spend years at sea, visiting multiple continents during a single voyage. From these distant ports, rare plant materials were acquired from deep inside jungles and forests, where those herbs became unguents and tonics to treat both sailors and royalty alike.

Known for his love of chanting and the open ocean, the gorilla naturally soothed weary sailors and was brought aboard the HMS Fowey by its benevolent Captain Hydrosol. During this lengthy voyage, the ship sailed to the Yucatan Peninsula in search of precious aromatic plant specimens.

Nearly five-hundred nautical miles later, the HMS Fowey approached the peninsula of La Florida – “the land of flowers,” where it ran aground on a reef seven miles off Cape Florida. 200 sailors, our captain, the shaman, one gorilla and a mermaid were all rescued and safely taken ashore. The rest is uncertain but recent sightings of their progeny have been seen, distilling local plants, mixing aromatic oils, whipping botanical butters and rejoicing with their products at local beaches, and occasionally, Fowey Rocks itself. 

Today Fowey Rocks Lighthouse still shines as a life-saving signal for mariners to avoid the unseen treacherous rocks that comprise Florida’s remaining coral reef.