Animal Crossing Gulliver
Image: Nintendo Life

Many Animal Crossing: New Horizons players have had the fortune of randomly stumbling upon a washed-up seagull by the name of Gulliver on their shores. Waking Gulliver and helping him will get you an exclusive souvenir from the sailor's worldwide travels, so it's well worth the effort to give Gulliver a hand (or a wing).

(For information on Gulliver's counterpart, check out our Pirate Gullivarrr guide.)

It seems that the chance of Gulliver appearing is completely random every single day - in fact, we've even seen him show up in our beaches two days in a row.

However, for those who haven't experienced any of the previous instalments to the series, there may be some confusion around what exactly to do with him. In this guide we'll look at how to wake up Gulliver and how to get Gulliver's exclusive items.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Gulliver Guide

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - How To Wake Gulliver

When you try waking Gulliver, he appears to be fast asleep on the beach where has has washed up. But don’t simply give up after a few tries – it takes persistence. Of course, that's what you do with a dozing sailor early in the morning. Keep talking to him and eventually he will wake from his slumber.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - How To Find Gulliver’s Communicator Parts

When Gulliver finally does come around, he will realize his "communicator" is missing some parts (and the screen appears to be fairly busted, too). Alas, you'll be tasked with digging up those parts "in the sand". We wasted quite a few shovels at first thinking he meant every square of sand in his vicinity, but that is not the case.

Instead, you'll simply need to keep an eye out for those frequently re-spawning water spouts on every stretch of sand around your island – which, initially, we assumed were just Manila Clams. Alas! This is actually a telltale sign of something lurking beneath the surface – in this case, Gulliver's five missing communicator parts.

They won't all appear at once, either: it'll take you a few runs along the various beaches surrounding your island in order for all of the spouts to spawn – and not all of them will be communicator parts, as clams will still be spawning, too. Again, persistence is key.

Your first encounter with Gulliver may occur before you have complete access to the island, but should may still able to collect them all – so it doesn't appear that any of the parts will be located on beaches out of reach. Keep searching along the accessible areas!

Finally, once you've collected all of the parts, bring them back to Gulliver. He'll show his gratitude by promising to send a souvenir in the mail – as he has in other games. This should arrive the next day in your mailbox.

If you check the recycling bin in Resident Services the next day, also, you'll find a rusted communicator part - which can eventually be used to craft other things, such as a Robot Hero:

Robot Hero Recipe

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - How to Obtain the Golden Shovel

Once you've assisted Gulliver a total of 30 times, he will present you with the recipe to craft a Golden Shovel via mail the next day. For more information on how to obtain all of the golden tools, check out our guide.

Golden Shovel Recipe

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Gulliver’s Souvenirs

The souvenirs appear to be different items from around the world - as they have always been in previous games - and while many are making reappearances in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, there are definitely a few items popping up that we hadn't encountered before. Here's what we've seen so far (stay tuned for an expanded guide to all things souvenirs!):

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Gulliver Souvenirs Full List: Image:
Silk Hat
Silk Hat
Alpinist Hat
Alpinist Hat
Sphinx
Sphinx
South Pole
South Pole
Moai Statue
Moai Statue
Lucky Cat
Lucky Cat
Dala Horse
Dala Horse
Elder Mask
Elder Mask
Ancient Administrator Hat
Ancient Administrator Hat
Pyramid
Pyramid
Tower of Pisa
Tower Of Pisa
Kaffiyeh
Kaffiyeh
Coin Headpiece
Coin Headpiece
Statue of Liberty
Statue Of Liberty
Hula Doll
Hula Doll
Candy-Skull Mask
Candy Skull Mask
Sombrero
Sombrero
Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Turban
Turban
Pigtail
Pigtail
Veil
Veil
Nutcracker
Nutcracker
Milkmaid Hat
Milkmaid Hat
Tam-o'-Shanter
Tam O' Shanter
Tubeteika
Tubeteika
Katana
Katana
Pagoda
Pagoda
Geisha Wig
Geisha Wig
Samurai Wig
Samurai Wig

Like many other activities on the island, you'll also receive some Nook Miles for your endeavours - a nice little bonus. The first time you help him, you'll receive 300 Nook Miles. After that, there are two more milestones (pun intended), with larger amounts of miles as rewards.

Have you received any other previously-unseen items from Gulliver so far? Let us know in the comments below!


This article is part of our Animal Crossing: New Horizons walkthrough, which includes a Complete Fish List, Complete Bug List and Complete Sea Creatures List. If you're looking for specific fish or bugs, we can tell you how to catch the elusive Coelacanth, Mahi-Mahi, Giant Trevally, Stringfish, Golden Trout and all the Sharks and Beetles, along with a full list of critters leaving at the end of the month (unless you visit Kapp'n's Boat Tour islands, of course!).

We can also help with How to Spot Redd's Fake Paintings and Statues, How to Make Bells Fast, How to Breed Flowers, How to Get more DIY Recipes, How to Upgrade Nook's Cranny, where and when to find special characters like Gulliver, Sable, Label, Wisp, Celeste, Pirate Gulliver and Jack, plus tips on using the Star Wand, Tool Ring, Rock Trick, Cutting Down and Moving Trees, using amiibo on Harv's Island, How to Back Up Your Island Data, How to Time Travel, How to Get a 5-Star Island Rating and a whole lot more.

If it's new content you're looking for help with, we can help you find gyroids, unlock Brewster's café, use the new Pro Camera App for selfies, enact new ordinances, get the beloved Froggy Chair, and even learn How to Cook.

And finally, Where to Buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch, if for some reason you haven't yet picked up the game, and How To Buy The Happy Home Paradise DLC, too!