A message in a bottle thrown from the Bahamas last year has led to an unexpected transatlantic friendship after the glass jar washed ashore in Portugal and the finder contacted the senders on WhatsApp. According to the New York Post, Amy Bisterzo and her 10-year-old son Lorenzo — residents of Fort Old Bay in the Bahamas — sealed a note containing their town, the date and a WhatsApp number into a bottle and cast it into the Atlantic in February 2025 as a small experiment. Roughly 4,000 miles later the bottle came ashore at Vila Cha Beach in Portugal, where 49-year-old schoolteacher Maria Enes found it while walking her dog and messaged the family.
Enes was reportedly stunned by the discovery and immediately reached out to Bisterzo. The three began exchanging voice notes and videos and formed an instant bond. Enes told the family she hopes to host them in Portugal someday so they can throw another bottle into the sea together. The New York Post account frames the encounter as a simple, human connection born from curiosity and technology: a decades-old seaside pastime meeting modern messaging apps.
In a separate incident cited by the BBC, a dog named Maggie uncovered another message in a bottle that had been dropped from a boat off Canada and later washed up at St Cyrus in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The letter, dated 2024 and written in French, appeared to be signed “Annie Chiasson.” Mike Scott, Maggie’s owner, said the bottle was dark glass with a lid and contained a small sealed bag holding the letter; he translated the note after bringing it home.
Both stories highlight how small acts — a tossed bottle, a brief handwritten note — can unexpectedly bridge large distances and prompt human connection. Whether found by a passerby in Portugal or a dog on a Scottish beach, these messages serve as reminders of curiosity, chance and the unlikely friendships that sometimes follow.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/mother-son-duo-throws-message-in-a-bottle-in-atlantic-leading-to-sweet-transatlantic-friendship-11251904#publisher=newsstand
Category:
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-03-23 00:28:00
