Treasure thrown into the ocean more than two years ago has been discovered by a swimmer on the NSW south coast after it travelled more than 300km.

The swimmer was diving at Murrays Beach in Jervis Bay on Sunday when he found a bottle floating on the water’s surface, covered in mussel shells.

Inside it was a note written by a little girl named Vicky, who wrote that her dad was in the navy and had launched the “treasure” near Newcastle, New South Wales, on December 9, 2020.

“It spent 808 days at sea and travelled a minimum of 300km (straight line) to arrive in Jervis Bay,” the swimmer wrote in a post to social media.

The note contained her address and her dad’s phone number, so the swimmer gave him a call.

“He couldn’t believe his ears when I said I had his daughter’s letter in my hand and the location the bottle was found,” he wrote.

“I chatted to Vicky (now 13) and she couldn’t believe it either.”

The swimmer found out Vicky’s grandparents live nearby in Gerringong, and plans are being made to catch up over the Easter Holidays to return the letter to the family.

“The ocean always gives me incredible surprises but this was next level that I will not forget,” he wrote.

He shared a photo of the condition of the letter which had clearly been folded several times to fit into the bottle.

“I live on a farm in Wamboin and my dad is in the navy and he put this letter in the sea.,” Vicky’s letter read.

“I am 10 years old and today’s date is the 4/12/2020, the day before my dad’s birthday and my birthday is the 30/9/2010.”

She also said she would “like it if you wrote back to me”.

Members of the community were shocked the letter would be making its way back to Vicky.

“What an awesome set of circumstances that have led to your find. Incredible that there is a common connection – the ocean and the navy,” one person said in a comment.

“Wow that’s amazing. To think the parents come from Gerringong that’s a blow out,” another said.

“How cool is that! Very exciting for Vicky,” someone else added.