Animal Crossing: New Horizons - How to help Gulliver

If you're playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it's a good idea to spend some time every day walking on your island's beaches. You'll find shells you can pick up and sell, ocean-dwelling fish to catch, and maybe even a bottle with a DIY recipe inside. You also might spot the seagull sailor Gulliver lying in the sand.

Walk over and talk to him and he'll spout some gibberish. Don't be discouraged! Just keep talking to him and eventually, he'll wake up and ask you for help. Gulliver's fallen overboard and needs to get his shipmates to rescue him. Unfortunately, his communicator is busted and the parts have been scattered all over your island.

Finding the parts

Gulliver needs five communicator parts to be able to signal his crew. To find them, go back to wandering the beach and look out for little spurts of water coming out of the sand near a tiny black shadow. It's the same animation you see when you can dig for a manilla clam, which is used for making fish bait.

Pull out your shovel and dig where you saw the spurt. The animation happens quickly but you don't need to dig while they're still active, just in the area where you spotted it. If you missed where it was, just wait a bit and you'll likely see another one nearby. While Gulliver's quest is active, instead of digging up a clam you'll find a communicator part.

Once you've dug up five of the parts, return to Gulliver who will be wandering the beach where you left him. Talk to him again and give him the communicator parts. He'll then be able to restore his communicator and send word to his crew that he needs a ride. They take their sweet time picking him up though and you'll be able to spot him on the beach for a few hours afterward.

Claim your reward

Gulliver will also promise to send you a reward in a few days, though my first one came the next day. Check your mail for a nice note and a present you can open to reveal your prize. I got a styling pigtail haircut. Gulliver seems to have a perpetual problem staying on his ship so expect to see him again soon.