India, Nov. 13 -- A Los Angeles artist has taken his fascination with mushrooms beyond the art studio, using the fungus to build an unusual vessel for an open-sea adventure. Sam Shoemaker spent 12 hours paddling across the Catalina Channel in a boat made from mushrooms, covering 42.43 km.

The journey from Catalina Island to the California mainland, undertaken in August 2025, came with its share of challenges. Shoemaker battled strong currents and rough waves before reaching Cabrillo Beach.

Shoemaker has spent more than a decade working with different species of fungi, turning them into sculptures and exploring their potential as functional materials. In a profile published by Paddling Magazine, he spoke about his interest in combining a...