Sailing Through Sundays on The JC: The Kate’s Meow—Skipper Kate, Pt. 2

Skipper Kate is back at it again with another post that she is sharing with the Daveland readers:

“The only "official" names we have for residents in the Jungle are Trader Sam, Little Squirt (sometimes known as Seymour), Ellie, and Bertha. You know Bertha—she’s been sitting in that shower so long, she has more wrinkles than she can count. She's been in there for like fifty years; it's time to get out, girl! Bertha is definitely our homie. She's one of the few animals you can really count on to get some solo attention, and it's mostly because she's so cute.

“I'm not entirely sure why Little Squirt is so special that she gets an official name. I do know she's adorable, and I tend to make a big deal out of her when we go by. Part of the reason I like her is she's very close to the boat, so kids especially seem fond of her (as well as guests with cameras). She's also a great distraction for meeting her cousin, "Big Squirt", who is the one who tries to soak boats. I have a personal dialogue with "Big Squirt", and we CAN threaten revenge on hecklers. Um... not that we've ever done that...



“I almost forgot about Ellie; she's a bit awkward to talk about, and most guests aren't very fond of her because she can get you wet (She's at the end of the jungle, hanging out with Trader Sam). Unlike "Big Squirt" by the Gorilla camp, we are NOT in cahoots, and if she gets you wet, it is of her own accord. I know Sam allegedly values her for her trunk space, but I like to pretend that she's really an attack elephant, and she gets people wet because she worries about them getting too close to Sam. Of course, this is completely my interpretation to make Ellie seem a lot cooler.

“I have a personal favorite (besides Little Squirt), and that's because I unofficially named her. I call the charging hippo in the hippo pool "Bessie". I don't have a good reason, other than it just flung its way out of my mouth one day when we were fleeing her attack, and ever since then, it just... stuck. If I'm ever out in the jungle on a boat without any guests (usually this happens during fireworks), I like to stop a spend a moment with her. She's really much more friendly without guests on the boat.



“I do not call the Bengal Tiger "Tony", nor will I ever. I think of the tiger as being female, and I usually call her "my big black and orange kitty". This sometimes frightens people.

“Lastly, although I've mostly been talking about animals with specific nicknames, there are two animals in the jungle who get the shaft. Next time you're riding the Jungle Cruise, pay attention to the left side of the boat AFTER the Rhino tormenting the hunter and Co, but well BEFORE the hippo pool. There are two tiny deer (?) lurking in the shadows. To my knowledge there are no jokes about them, nor is there any canon Disney commentary on them. It makes me sad because I think they're really cute, and deserve more attention.

See more Disneyland Jungle Cruise photos at my main website.