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Collector hunts for Nova Scotian who placed a message in a bottle in 1985

A tiny glass bottle thrown into the waters off Nova Scotia survived 30 years at sea and eventually ended up in Salt Lake City.

Clint Buffington's father found the bottle while visiting the British West Indies in the Caribbean about three years ago and then took it back to the family home in Salt Lake City.

Inside the bottle was a faded handwritten note from 1985, written by a Nova Scotian.

"Hey Dude, I'm a grade 10 student from Cole Harbour District High School. I like to party and have a good time. I [illegible] the coast and this, I think half decent. If you [are from another country] I would appreciate a penny [of] foreign money," the note says.

"Being a Canadian isn't bad. There is a lot to do and the people aren't so bad. This was released offshore in the gulf stream by swordfish boat. Yours Truly, [illegible]."

Water damage caused the ink to run and obliterated the name of the writer.

Buffington is looking to identify the writer. He runs a website called Message In A Bottle Hunter, which details his finds and works to reunite people with their messages.

"Everyone who looks at it sees a different name," Buffington told CBC's Maritime Noon.

"Everyone has a friend who went to that high school at that time and has a name that could be this name, it's just really hard to say."

The bottle also contained another message saying the bottle was part of the Ocean Drift Project at the school.

Buffington said he has a lead that might help him find the writer, but he's waiting on confirmation.

Buffington's family are message in a bottle hunters and collectively have found more than 110 while on vacations, with Buffington himself having found around 80.

He said they go for walks on the beach to find bottles.

"Most people go to the beach and just kind of hang out with a drink, which I am totally into, but that's not how you're going to find messages in bottles," said Buffington.

"If anyone wants to try it, that's my advice is get out there and walk."