Look, let's be real. If you’re playing the Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty DLC in Borderlands 2, you’re probably there for the Sand Hawk or the Pimpernel. I get it. Those guns are broken. But if you’re ignoring the Borderlands 2 message in a bottle quests scattered across Oasis and the surrounding desert wastes, you are leaving some of the easiest Seraph Crystals and unique gear on the table. It’s not just about the loot, though. These missions are basically a scavenger hunt designed by a developer who clearly wanted to see how much players enjoy jumping onto invisible ledges and hugging rock walls.
Most people stumble onto the first one by accident. You're driving your hovercraft through Oasis, you see a yellow exclamation point on the map, and suddenly you're looking for a buried treasure chest. It sounds simple. It rarely is. These bottles are tucked away in corners of the map that serve no other purpose. You won't just walk past them during the main story. You have to go looking.
The Oasis Bottle: A Lesson in Not Overthinking It
The first Borderlands 2 message in a bottle you’ll likely find is in the starting area, Oasis. It’s located in a spot called Horrid Abyssal. Honestly, the hardest part about this one isn't finding the bottle; it's realizing that the treasure isn't actually "buried" in the way you’d think. You find the bottle near some palm trees and rocks, and then the map marks a waypoint.
Here is the thing about these quests: the "X marks the spot" is literal. When you get to the waypoint, you’re looking for a small, slightly discolored patch of dirt or a physical "X" made of planks. In Oasis, you’re heading toward the docks. If you’re level 30 or level 80 (OP10), the loot scales, so don’t feel like you have to rush these in Normal Mode. The Oasis treasure specifically is tucked under a pier. You’ll probably have to fight off a few desert worms, but it’s the easiest of the bunch.
Why Does Captain Scarlett Care About These?
Lore-wise, these bottles belong to a guy named Captain Freed. He’s dead. Obviously. But he left his "treasures" behind, and Scarlett wants you to find them—mostly so she can eventually betray you and take everything for herself. It’s a classic Borderlands trope. What’s interesting is that these chests have a higher-than-average chance to drop purple-rarity gear and the occasional legendary, though don’t hold your breath for a Conference Call.
The real value, especially in Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode (UVHM), is the XP and the guaranteed loot. When you're grinding through those late levels, every bit of gear that can be sold for Markov-standard prices helps.
The Wurmwater Bottle: Hope You Like Jumping
Wurmwater is a massive map. It’s easy to get lost in the flats. The Borderlands 2 message in a bottle here is located in the northeast section of the map. You’re looking for a place called the "Salty Dog."
To get the bottle, you have to climb.
I’ve seen so many players struggle with the platforming in this DLC. Borderlands isn’t exactly Mirror's Edge. The physics are floaty. To reach this bottle, you have to jump across some hanging platforms and cages. If you fall, you’re just walking back up a long ramp. It’s annoying. Once you grab it, the treasure is located way over by the lighthouse area. You’ll find it buried near a house that looks like it’s seen better days.
Hayter’s Folly and the Cave of Disappointment
Hayter's Folly is a beautiful map. Lots of glowing crystals, lots of water, and way too many Crystalisks. The bottle here is hidden behind a waterfall—how original, right?—in the Hot Springs area.
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- Find the waterfall.
- Walk through it.
- Don't get eaten by the ambush.
The treasure for this one is actually inside the Grotto. You’ll have to fight through a camp of pirates. If you’re playing as Salvador, you can just Gunzerk through. If you’re Zero, maybe use your Decepti0n to bypass the heavies. The chest is tucked away in a corner of the cavern. If you reach the boss arena for the main story quest, you’ve gone too far.
The Washburne Refinery Bottle: The Hardest One to Find
Seriously, the Washburne Refinery Borderlands 2 message in a bottle is the one that breaks people. The Refinery is a maze of pipes, corrosive pools, and Hyperion loaders. It’s a vertical map, which makes the 2D mini-map almost useless.
The bottle is in the "C0re Purge" area. You have to navigate a series of pipes high above the ground. If you have a fear of heights, or just a fear of falling into instant-death corrosive sludge, take it slow. You’ll find the bottle sitting on a ledge that requires a very specific sprint-jump.
The treasure itself is hidden back toward the entrance of the refinery, tucked behind some machinery. It’s a long walk. Most players give up on this one because the Refinery is such a chore to navigate once the loaders start spawning in behind you.
Magnys Lighthouse: The Final Stretch
The last bottle is in Magnys Lighthouse. By the time you get here, you’re probably tired of digging in the dirt. But this one is actually worth it because the trek to the lighthouse is already part of the main quest.
The bottle is near the "Spire." You have to climb some stairs and look for a small path that leads away from the main objective. It’s tucked behind a building. The treasure is located at the very top of the lighthouse area.
The view is actually pretty great. You can see the whole "sea" of sand. It’s a nice moment of peace before you go back to getting shot at by Captain Scarlett’s crew.
Technical Details: Scaling and Loot Tables
One thing people get wrong about the Borderlands 2 message in a bottle rewards is thinking they are fixed. They aren't.
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Like everything in Borderlands 2, these chests are governed by the game's RNG (Random Number Generator). However, they function like "Red Chests." This means they have a much higher probability of containing E-Tech weapons, relics, and class mods than a standard gray crate.
If you are playing in UVHM, wait to turn these in until you are at the level cap. Why? Because the items inside will spawn at your current level. If you find the bottle at level 72, but don't open the chest until you hit level 80, the loot will be level 80. It’s a great way to get a fresh set of gear without having to farm a specific boss like the Bunker or Savage Lee.
Common Mistakes and Glitches
Let's talk about the "Ghost" "X". Sometimes, you'll get to the waypoint for a Borderlands 2 message in a bottle quest and the prompt to "Dig" won't appear. It's frustrating. It happens.
Usually, this is because a stray enemy is nearby. The game won't let you interact with the treasure mound if you're technically "in combat." Check the edges of your map for red dots. It’s often a single, tiny sand worm that’s stuck in a rock. Kill it, and the "Dig" prompt should pop up.
Another issue is the bottle in Hayter's Folly. Sometimes the bottle physically won't appear if you haven't progressed far enough in the "Two Easy Pieces" story mission. If you don't see the yellow exclamation mark, just keep playing the main DLC story. It’ll show up eventually.
Is It Actually Worth Your Time?
Honestly? Yes and no.
If you’re a completionist, you need these for the "Treasure Hunter" achievement/trophy. If you’re just looking for the best gear in the game, these chests probably won't give you a Norfleet or an Unkempt Harold. But they will give you a consistent source of decent gear while you're leveling.
The Captain Scarlett DLC is widely considered one of the best expansions in the series, mostly because of the writing and the specific unique rewards. The message in a bottle quests add a layer of exploration that the base game sometimes lacks. It forces you to actually look at the environment instead of just running from one objective marker to the next.
Actionable Steps for Your Treasure Hunt
If you’re going to go for all of them, do it in this order to save time:
- Oasis: Grab the bottle as soon as you arrive, but don't go for the treasure until you're heading back to Shade to turn in a quest.
- Wurmwater: Get the bottle while you're on the way to the refinery. The treasure is near the lighthouse, so grab it when you go there for the story.
- Hayter's Folly: Only go for this when you have the quest to find the compass piece. It’s deep in the map and not worth a separate trip.
- Washburne Refinery: Do this one last. It’s the most out-of-the-way. Use a character with high movement speed if possible.
- Magnys Lighthouse: Grab the bottle on your way up the spire and dig the treasure on your way down.
Keep an eye on your map. The bottle icons only appear when you are relatively close to them. If you’re missing one, check the areas of your map that are still "fogged out." Chances are, that’s where the bottle is hiding.
Don't forget that these quests can be reset if you reset your entire UVHM playthrough. This allows you to farm the chests multiple times at the level cap. It’s not the most efficient farm in the game—that honor goes to the Marcus Mercenary Day DLC—but it’s a fun change of pace from killing the same boss over and over again.
Check your backpack space before you go digging. There's nothing worse than opening a treasure chest in the middle of a desert and realizing you have to drop a legendary just to pick up a slightly better purple shield.
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Once you finish all five, you’ve basically mastered the exploration side of the Pirate’s Booty DLC. From there, you can focus on the real challenge: taking down Terramorphous... or just trying to survive the gauntlet in the Big Sleep. Good luck out there, Vault Hunter. The sand is hot, and the loot is waiting.