Jerry Pope's Message In A Bottle Travels 4,000 Miles From Connecticut To England

Back in October, 2010, Jerry Pope dropped in a message in a bottle into the waters off the coast of Niantic, Conn. Recently he learned that the bottle traveled nearly 4,000 miles to an island off the coast of England.

Back in October 2010, Jerry Pope had a bottle he wanted to toss.

But instead of recycling it, he decided to stick in a message and throw it into the sea near his hometown of Niantic, Conn.

"I said, 'Good luck to you,' and maybe somebody will find the bottle, and maybe hopefully, somebody will find it and send me a letter," Pope told NBC Connecticut.

Pope had no idea where the currents might take the bottle, but figured it might never get out of Niantic Bay.

Well, it did -- and then some. It traveled nearly 4,000 miles all the way to the Isles of Scilly, located 28 miles off the southwestern coast of England, according to MSNBC.

This past Saturday, 17 months after he dropped the bottle into the briny blue, Pope got a postcard from England with a photo of St. Martin's and Tresco, two islands in the Isles of Scilly.

"I thought to myself, 'Who do I know in England?' Then I read it, and I couldn't believe it," Pope chuckled. "My bottle was found," he told The Day.

The postcard, which was sent March 22, was signed by James Roberts and six others and included Roberts' email address along with the message "Have a great 2012!"

Pope has sent a message to Roberts, but hasn't heard back.

Still, he is tickled that his bottle made it to jolly old England that has inspired him to try it again.

"One day I'm going to do it -- either this summer or in the fall again -- and just see. I'm going to mark bottle number two and just see if it gets there again,” Pope told NBC Connecticut.

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Comments

[Anybodyseenthepopos]

06:36 PM on 04/09/2012

Let's hope it doesn't get to the point that the oceans need a spam filter for "bottled adverts".

[martyleonard]

05:31 PM on 04/07/2012

way to go jerry

[martyleonard]

08:04 AM on 04/07/2012

where was bently during this

[fattrucker]

10:49 PM on 04/06/2012

i found a message in a bottle once but it turned out to be junk mail

[ArChiMi]

03:59 PM on 04/06/2012

Stop polluting the oceans with your garbage that contains a note.

[CharlieVer]

09:15 PM on 04/06/2012

That bottle is NOT garbage. It's recycling. Please put it in the CORRECT receptacle.

[ArChiMi]

12:54 AM on 04/07/2012

Garbage if it wasn't found. Put that in your proper receptacle.

[cleylol]

05:57 PM on 04/09/2012

Oh hush, don't be a grinch

[ArChiMi]

07:07 PM on 04/09/2012

Only in the case of a stranded person on a remote Island this would be acceptable :)

[eweb544468]

01:41 PM on 04/06/2012

I like to do the same but don't know what kind of bottle to use, can anybody tell me? Thank You.

[J0E1]

10:52 AM on 04/06/2012

but figured it might never get out of Niantic Bay

Nice.  Ok with polluting his own bay just for an experiment he didn't think would work.

Here's where 99% of the bottles with letters sealed inside end up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch A vortex of garbage the size of Texas in the middle of the pacific ocean.  There is another one in the Atlantic.

[castle701]

10:01 AM on 04/06/2012

I sent a bottle back in 1992 from a cruise ship in the atlantic ocean. I have not heard a word about it. I know that it was sealed properly. I'm still waiting for it to arrive.

[aicequeen36]

09:55 AM on 04/06/2012

very cool..makes me want to do it

[anitafeeney]

03:35 AM on 04/06/2012

totally cool

[rsgreyfox1]

03:20 AM on 04/06/2012

WOW! How nice....In the midst of all the garbage, a fun story.

[flxdcatbruce]

03:02 AM on 04/06/2012

I once sent a bottle sailing too.....she had me arrested though.

[tccat4]

02:58 AM on 04/06/2012

I tried this as a child, tossed it into the Atlantic.... Never heard anything back. I'm glad Jerry got a reply. Good to know that someone 4,000 miles away actually picked it up and responded.

[each his own wat a joke]

01:30 AM on 04/06/2012

careful they will try to charge you postage somehow . lol

[rocco12]

01:19 AM on 04/06/2012

suprised he wasn't charged foe 'international litter'' ha --dumb and useless story to take space on the web--but then again --what would you expect from this site.

[iamciril]

03:08 AM on 04/06/2012

LOL YOU read it.

[anitafeeney]

03:36 AM on 04/06/2012

but you clicked on it and read it and commented on it didnt ya lol