He spent 50 days on a deserted island. Then he found a message in a bottle.

Jasper Doest spent nearly two months photographing the Netherlands’ Rottumeroog, where visitors are usually prohibited and he found a new sense of freedom.

I captured this image of dune formations on a typical Dutch autumn day, with heavy rain showers alternating with low-lying sun. When I paid close attention, I realized that no two minutes there were the same.

Story and photographs byJasper Doest

As told toCatherine Zuckerman

December 5, 2023

6 min read

The island of Rottumeroog in the Netherlands is an uninhabited wilderness heavily protected by European nature laws. In 2012 and 2013, I traveled there back and forth multiple times for an assignment, spending a total of 50 days and nights—an amazing opportunity, as visitors were usually prohibited. For much of my time there, I was alone. My job was to take pictures to help others learn about this place. But about two-thirds of the way through, a lesson emerged. It came by way of a message in a bottle, tossed from the sea.

(Learn how to take wildlife photos from Doest.)

Swarms of birds over the beach — The Netherlands’ Rottumeroog is located in the Waddenzee, a tidal wetland that connects to the North Sea. The island is a vital rest stop for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds

Dence grass patch on the narrow beach with sea on both sides. — Marram grass, also known as European beach grass, plays a crucial role in coastal protection. Its long roots help stabilize and bind sand, creating dunes that act as natural barriers against storm surges and tidal forces.

I grew up near the Dutch coast, and Rottumeroog’s flat, open setting was familiar to me. I tried to avoid imposing my own narrative on the island, which has a sand foundation and is gradually drifting to the southeast, guided by the current. So I walked its perimeter daily, training myself to listen and watch for small changes in this landscape that was so simple, you could draw it with just a few lines.

One of my favorite spots to explore was along the shore where an old building once stood. All that remained were some half-buried bricks, among which shells and ocean debris collected. One day I noticed a bottle in the rubble unlike others I’d previously found—this one’s cap was screwed on. I opened it and discovered a handwritten note inside. In English, it said: “My name is Meike and I’m 11 years old. I have good friends and you?”

A single bird feather amidst shells — Shells create mesmerizing patterns shaped by wind and time.

a hand written letter laying on the beach, held down by a dead crab and an empty bottle — I found a bottle containing a letter as I was strolling on the beach. Scouting for images on Rottumeroog was like hunting for treasure.

As I began writing back—Meike had given her school in the Netherlands as a return address—I tried to describe how humbling it was to be isolated in a densely populated part of northern Europe: On Rottumeroog you see only earth, water, and sand, and the wind whistles in your ears. Meike eventually received my letter, and now, years later, I am still in touch with her family. People tend to think that being alone is a bad thing. But to me it felt like freedom in every vein.