Teen's message in a bottle travels 1,200 miles in two years

Jan. 20 (UPI) -- A message in a bottle that a Washington state teenager dropped into the ocean while sailing in the South Pacific was found two years later after floating 1,200 miles to Papua New Guinea.

Niki Nie, of Battle Ground, said she was 17 years old when she and her family were sailing in the South Pacific. On Jan. 8, 2019, she tossed a message in a bottle into the ocean to commemorate crossing the equator on the way to the Marshall Islands.

"We kind of did it as a commemorative, 'Hey. we're crossing the equator' and just because we wanted to. Why not, let's see what happens. It was kind of an adventure," Nie told KGW-TV.

The bottle was found two years later by Steven Amos, a ranger with the Conflict Island Conservation Initiative, who was cleaning litter from a beach on Panasesa Island, off the coast of Papua New Guinea.

"For it to land in Papua New Guinea was pretty amazing because we have so many friends that still work there. So many connections, so many great memories," Nie said.

The group posted photos of Nie's bottle on Facebook, and the post reached her within hours.

"As far as it getting found by a conservation group," Nie said, "I have to say at first I was a little guilty. I was like, 'Oh no, I probably shouldn't have thrown a bottle in,' but I figured it was helpful that it was glass."

The Conflict Island Conservation Initiative has invited Nie to come visit the Conflict Islands and learn more about the group. Nie said she is hoping to make the trip in the near future.