Resurfaces after a decade: return of bottled postal service
In an unusual turn of events, American musician Clint Buffington, a self-proclaimed "message in a bottle professional," has made contact with a German couple after discovering a message in a bottle during his family vacation.
The bottle, which traveled nearly 6,000 kilometers, was thrown into the Atlantic Ocean by Jörg and Cornelia Wanke from Heringsdorf in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, during a cruise on the "Star Flyer." The couple, who are avid participants in the age-old tradition, had also sent their next message in a bottle from the Heringsdorf seabrücke into the Baltic Sea.
Clint, a resident of Utah, found the bottle on a beach in the Caribbean. Intrigued by the discovery, he started a social media appeal to find the sender of the message in a bottle. His efforts paid off when he made contact with the Wanke family through a report in the "Ostsee-Zeitung."
The sender and finder of the message in a bottle spoke to each other via an internet call, sharing stories and experiences. For Clint, this was just another addition to his impressive collection of over 100 messages in bottles found.
Jörg Wanke, who is 66 years old, was born on the island of Usedom and describes himself as a "proud islander." His decision to toss the message in a bottle into the waves during a cruise was a whimsical act that led to an unexpected connection with a stranger on the other side of the ocean.
The message in a bottle landed on an uninhabited island in the Bahamas, where it spent 13 years before being found by Clint. This makes it the most recent found message, with the previous notable discoveries including a message in a bottle from 1983 discovered on a remote Canadian island near Nova Scotia (Sable Island) in mid-2025, and a 50-year-old message found in June 2025[3].
The longest journey was made by a bottle released by a Canadian couple, Anita and Brad Squires, which was found in Ireland in July 2025, taking more than a decade to make the journey before being found and reported back to the couple[1].
This unique encounter serves as a reminder of the enduring fascination and emotional impact these finds have, bridging distances and connecting people across the globe.
[1] Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53437900 [2] Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53381682 [3] Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-53337267
The bottle, having traveled over 6,000 kilometers from Germany, was found by Clint during a family vacation in the Caribbean. This discovery led to Clint and the bottle's original senders, Jörg and Cornelia Wanke, connecting over their shared interest in the lifestyle of sending messages in bottles and traveling.
