US Man Builds 12-Foot Kayak From Giant Mushroom, Completes 42-Km Sea Journey

A man from Los Angeles, California, has turned a giant mushroom into a kayak and used it to complete a challenging sea journey. Sam Shoemaker, a maritime mycologist, built a 12-foot-long boat using mushroom material and paddled it across the Catalina Channel to Cabrillo Beach on the American mainland, reported Guinness World Records.

Shoemaker covered a distance of 26.37 miles (42.43 km) during a 12-hour journey. His achievement earned him a place in the Guinness World Records 2027 for the longest solo journey by a boat made from fungal mycelium.

During the journey, he faced strong ocean currents and difficult weather conditions. He also travelled alongside a giant fin whale.

Shoemaker has spent more than 10 years working with different types of fungi to create sculptures and artworks. His interest in mushrooms also led him to explore how they could be used to make useful materials.

He hopes that fungi could one day replace some plastic and non-renewable materials used in construction.

In his laboratory, he works with different types of mushrooms, including glowing, edible, native, rare and poisonous varieties.

Shoemaker explained that most mushrooms sold in grocery stores dry up and decompose within a few days when kept outside a refrigerator. However, the wild mushrooms he uses are much stronger and do not break down quickly in water after being dried and preserved.

Shoemaker first built a mushroom boat in 2024 using a wild polypore mushroom found outside his studio in Los Angeles. Although he was happy with its performance, he wanted to create a stronger and more advanced version.

With help from his cousin Laza, Shoemaker created a fibreglass mould using a kayak purchased through Craigslist. This mould helped the mushroom grow into the shape of a boat.