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Message In Bottle Found After 98 Years Near Shetland

Posted by samzenpus on from the message-in-a-bottle dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A drift bottle released in June 1914 by Captain CH Brown of the Glasgow School of Navigation has been found. Part of a project to help map currents, 1,890 scientific research bottles were released around Scotland. Only 315 of them were ever recovered. From the article: 'Mr Leaper, 43, who found the bottle east of Shetland, explained: "As we hauled in the nets I spotted the bottle neck sticking out and I quickly grabbed it before it fell back in the sea. It was very exciting to find the bottle and I couldn't wait to open it."'"

3 of 107 comments (clear)

  1. Sixpence None The Richer? by Cyrano+de+Maniac · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Yes, but was he awarded the promised six pence?

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    Cyrano de Maniac
  2. Re:So... by icebike · · Score: 4, Interesting

    how do they know it was near Shetland for 98 years?

    They obviously don't. In fact, unless there are some incredibly regular local current loops this bottle could have traveled a very long way.
    These were designed to sink to some depth, (but obviously not to the bottom) and flow with the currents, and be below the depth where they
    would likely be dashed on the rocks by waves.

    Looking at a map of the Atlantic Currents its quite possible these bottles may have covered would be up to the arctic, back down along Greenland, Labrador, delivered to the North Atlantic Drift and back to Shetland. Probably many round such trips over the years.

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    Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
  3. Re:Obvious joke here by Kreigaffe · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I worked briefly with a 19 year old girl who had never heard of: David Bowie, Neil Young, Sid Vicious, James Brown, Pearl Jam, Janis Joplin, or Run DMC.

    I very nearly wept.

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    ... still waiting for this free-as-in-beer free beer I keep hearing about. :|