What about Dolphins? Comparable intelligence.

[BrownEye]

she talked about aquatic beings (humanoids) who lived there once, which is consistent with the legends around the Pacific.

This sounds so cool, but I am unable to connect to any form of bipedal water based life.

I do however find them in alternate realities, just not the particular reality we reside in. All I can find is some sort of dimensional issue, where this information is an alternate history that may not have 'physically' transferred here with the awareness.

The hairball crystal is funny. I can imagine an ancient polished stone that begins to grow and show its natural form, which may have the appearance of 'hairs'. Completely logical.