Message in a bottle survives transatlantic trip

A MESSAGE in a bottle, released into the Atlantic Ocean in April 2009, 20 miles out of Port Canaveral, Florida, was found 6,000km away, in Kilbaha last month.
The bottle, complete with a message, was picked up on August 29 by Adam Flannery (17), who was on holiday in Kilbaha in the Loop Head peninsula, with his family. The Flannerys, who live in Athlone, have been visiting the area for 15 years.
“It was washed up on the shore, over the wall from Keatings Pub in Kilbaha,” Steve Flannery, Adam’s father, explained. “It was just an ordinary green wine bottle with a sealed rubber cork on it,” he added.
The bottle however was part of an Oceanographic current study, conducted by a Melbourne High School (Florida) science class. 
“Please let us know the date and place where you found this bottle,” the message in the bottle read. “Please do not throw this back into the water,” the student messengers pleaded.
Steve Flannery made contact with the Florida-based school and last week, he received an email from Ethan Hall, who teaches Marine Science at the high school. 
“Your response is the first to come from across the Atlantic. Until now, the farthest report came from Rhode Island, US,” Mr Hall explained.
Mr Hall outlined the idea behind flinging a bottle into the Atlantic Ocean.
“The last four years, my students have made messages in a bottle. My neighbour is the captain of a fishing boat. Captain Tim Fletcher runs his fishing charter, Cool Beans Charters, out of Port Canaveral. He releases our bottles directly into the Gulf Stream. Then we wait for responses. Our bottle apparently travelled about six thousand kilometres to reach Kilbaha Bay,” he noted. 
The bottle was tossed into the water on April 20, 2009. Mr Hall admitted he had not previously heard of the Loop Head peninsula but now that he had, he and his wife will head for West Clare.
“I’ve read up on the area and it looks beautiful. My wife and I have vacationed in Scotland and England. On our next holiday, we’ll be sure to hit Loop Head,” he predicted.
The bottle is now in Athlone but Steve Flannery promises that he will bring it back to Kilbaha the next time the family head west.