World's Oldest Message in a Bottle Found on Beach

The nearly 132-year-old find was part of a larger experiment by German crews to track ocean currents.

On January 21, the Illman family and some friends were driving through a beach north of Wedge Island off the coast of west Australia, about 100 miles north of Perth. When the car got stopped by sand, Tonya Illman and her friend Grace Ricciardo decided to go for a walk.

Making their way back to their vehicle, they stopped to pick up some trash. Illman grabbed a brownish bottle with raised lettering, thinking it would make a nice addition to her bookshelf. (Related: "Here's Where the Ocean's Trash Comes From")

Back in the car, Illman handed the old-looking bottle off to her son's girlfriend, Bree Del Borrello, so that she could help her husband dislodge the car from

DON'T MISS THE REST OF THIS STORY!
Create a free account to continue and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles, plus newsletters.

Create your free account to continue reading

No credit card required. Unlimited access to free content.
Or get a Premium Subscription to access the best of Nat Geo - just $19
SUBSCRIBE

Read This Next

'World’s worst shipwreck' was bloodier than we thought
World’s first ultrasounds of wild manta rays reveal a troubling truth
Titanic was found during secret Cold War Navy mission

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet