Re-emergence of Bottle Mail After Decade
In an unusual turn of events, American musician Clint Buffington, a self-proclaimed "message in a bottle pro," recently discovered a cobalt blue bottle containing a note sent by a German couple during a cruise in the Atlantic Ocean.
The message in question was sent by Jörg and Cornelia Wanke from the Heringsdorf pier in Germany, while they were on the "Star Flyer" between Madeira and Gran Canaria on October 23, 2015. The couple, who describe themselves as proud islanders, had thrown the bottle into the ocean as a whimsical gesture.
Meanwhile, Clint Buffington, a resident of Utah, was on a family vacation in the Bahamas when he stumbled upon the bottle during a beach walk with his father. The find was particularly significant as it contained a note written in 2015, making it a 6-year-old message in a bottle.
Clint, who has a penchant for finding such messages and documents his finds on social media platforms like TikTok, was thrilled with the discovery. He considers himself a seasoned hunter of messages in bottles, having found over 100 of them. One of his most notable finds was a message written in 1976 by a teen named Peter R. Thompson during a science experiment, which he found over 1,000 miles away in the Bahamas. After nearly 50 years, Clint and his brother Evan successfully tracked down the author.
Following the latest find, Clint launched an appeal through social media, hoping to connect with the Wanke family. His efforts were successful, and he was able to speak to Jörg Wanke, who was born on the island of Usedom, via an internet call.
The Wanke family, who were equally surprised and excited about the discovery, were delighted to hear from Clint. They shared their story in the "Ostsee-Zeitung," which is where Clint first learned about them. Intrigued, he decided to embark on a mission to find the authors of the message.
Now, the Wanke family is preparing to send their next message in a bottle, this time into the Baltic Sea. They are looking forward to the possibility of it being found by another keen collector like Clint Buffington, who continues his quest to find more messages in bottles, one beach at a time.
The Wanke family, who previously sent a message in a bottle during a cruise in the Atlantic Ocean, are now preparing to send their next message, this time into the Baltic Sea. Clint Buffington, a seasoned hunter of messages in bottles, is excited about the possibility of finding their new message, continuing his quest to collect more of these time capsules one beach at a time.
