Message in a Bottle Found on Delmarva’s Most Exclusive Beach

Finding a message in a bottle after it’s been out to sea is a pretty rare experience and feels almost romantic and a bit serendipitous. Finding a message in a bottle on one of the most exclusive beaches on Delmarva feels even more magical, like the sea itself chose to connect the sender and the recipient for reasons we may not ever understand. But before we share the full story of the bottle, let’s back up and explain the setting and the circumstances here.

The southernmost tip of the Delmarva Peninsula is largely inaccessible to human visitors because it is a National Wildlife Refuge and crucial shorebird nesting habitat. But there’s a rare chance to visit this barrier island - Fisherman Island - on an exclusive, guided walking tour hosted by refuge staff and volunteers. 

Guided tours of Fisherman Island are only offered on Saturday mornings between October and February, so as not to interrupt shorebird nesting seasons. Space on tours is very limited, so it’s important to call the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge well in advance to reserve your spot. October tours open for registration on September 1 each year.

Tours gather at the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge visitor center, where all participants are issued a special access pass for their vehicles and then the group caravans down the road to Fisherman Island. The access point to Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge is actually south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel toll booth, but luckily the vehicle passes waive the toll for all tour participants. Refuge staff will lead the caravan to a tiny parking area where the guided tour officially begins.

Once all participants have parked, refuge staff will close the gate, preventing anyone from the highway from trying to join - talk about exclusivity! From there, refuge volunteers will give a thorough introduction to the island’s history. It’s hard to believe that the island is only about 200 years old! The guided walk down to the beach is about a mile long. Your experienced guides will identify everything from waterfowl to tree species along the trail. They will also call your attention to remnants of WWII, when the military had operations on the island to defend the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Prior to WWII, the island housed a quarantine station to help reduce illnesses being carried to the U.S. by European immigrants. 

About halfway down the trail, refuge staff have a collection of shells and other things that have washed up on the island’s beaches such as whale vertebrae, sand dollars, calcified tube worms, and pieces of old sea turtle shells. Once the group reaches the shoreline, free time is given to all participants to wander the beach and explore. Please note though, that collecting shells is not permitted, so be sure to only take photos of your findings. Litter and man-made debris however, can be removed from the island at the refuge staff's discretion. 

This is where a routine guided hike took an interesting turn because it was on the beach just west of the bridge that we spotted the bottled message! We turned it over to refuge staff who had to break the glass bottle to access the note and the $5 bill inside. Turns out it was tossed in the ocean near Virginia Beach on New Year’s Day by a mother and son and had been out to sea for 23 days. The bottle included $5 too, which was donated to the refuge.

I reached out to the sender and we have now connected! This is Ruby and her son, River, right before they tossed it out to sea! As well as her enclosed note and me right before I found the bottle (it was soooo cold)! Turns out Ruby is a life-long nature lover and truly values green spaces. I'd say the right person found their message! Ruby is also an art teacher, published author, and works to support disadvantaged youth that are pursuing visual art or art education careers. Check out her website to learn more.

Moments like this remind us why time spent on the coast feels so special because the shoreline is always changing and always carrying stories we don’t expect to find. If you’d like to experience Fisherman Island for yourself, plan ahead and reserve a guided tour. For other coastal adventures, our site makes it easy to search for beaches and shoreline spots (that don’t have such limited access!) across Delmarva.

concrete road, a remnant of WWII military presence on the island