Message in a bottle: 16‑year ocean journey ends in Australia
A bottle containing a message, tossed into the Atlantic Ocean 16 years ago, was recently discovered on a beach in Peterborough, Australia. The find was made by Tony, a local resident enjoying a walk along the beach in southwestern Victoria. The message, which travelled thousands of kilometres across the ocean, captured the interest of internet users worldwide.
26 November 2024 20:16
The bottle was originally thrown into the ocean on November 3, 2008, approximately 50 kilometres off the coast of Brazil, between Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. According to the "Daily Mail," the author of the letter was Joe Johnson, an American, who had a habit of tossing bottles into the oceans during his travels. In the letter, he requested the finder to send the note back to the USA.
Johnson offered a reward of 20 dollars for the return of the letter, as he was curious to learn how far and how long the bottle had travelled. A resident of Towson, Maryland, he was taken aback that his message had reached Australia. "I don't remember this specific bottle," Johnson mentioned during an interview with ABC Radio Melbourne.
An Australian found a letter from Brazil
The letter must have covered many thousands of kilometres, as Rio de Janeiro is over 13,100 kilometres from Peterborough. Johnson, admitting he seldom receives reports about his bottles being found, expressed surprise and delight at this remarkable discovery.
According to the "Daily Mail," in keeping with his earlier promise, the man decided to give Tony 20 dollars as a token of gratitude for locating the bottle. This gesture symbolized not only gratitude but also appreciation for Tony's honesty and effort in reading the message and contacting the sender.
The discovery sparked excitement on social media. Users were fascinated by the bottle's journey and encouraged Tony to claim the reward. "It's amazing that it survived 16 years in the ocean," wrote one internet user. "If only this bottle could talk, it would tell an incredible story," added another.
