Thai fisherman find 12 waxy yellow lumps they believe is valuable ambergris whale vomit
- 4 years ago
Fishermen found 12 mystery lumps they hope could be valuable whale vomit used in the perfume industry.
The two men, Rohaman and Hasan, went out to fishing at dawn when they noticed the large yellow chunks washed up on the sand in Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand.
They later took the yellow wax back home and asked residents in their village, who said the moldy rocks was the priceless ambergris - a valuable ingredient in the fragrance industry.
Rohaman and Hasan also tested the waxy lumps by melting and floating a small part of them in water to identify them as Ambergris.
They then kept all of them in the frozen box in order to maintain its quality. They weighed a total of 6.6lbs.
If the find is high quality ambergris, it could be worth more than 100,000USD, based on previous sales prices of around 17,000USD per lb.
They said they did research for more information about the whale vomit on the internet before and affirmed that 12 blocks might be the valuable ambergris for sure.
Rohaman said: "I was shocked finding the priceless whale vomit for the first time in my hometown. All of the twelve pieces of yellow wax shoud be wort a lot. Anyone can visit us to admire their beauty.''
Ambergris is formed in the digestive tracts of whales and a sought-after ingredient in the perfume industry. Marine biologists say that lumps of ambergris can sometimes float in the ocean for more than 100 years after it is formed from a secretion of the bile duct in the intestines of the sperm whale. The liquid then solidifies in the ocean and matures over many years.
In October 2019, fisherman Jumrus Thiachot, 55, found a 14 lbs piece of ambergris while he was walking along the beach in Koh Samui also in southern Thailand. While two months later, beach scavenger Surachet Chanchu found a 37 lbs waxy lump that he believes is valuable whale vomit.
In April 2016, a 1.57 kilogram ambergris ball found in Lancashire sold for GBP50,000 while in November of the same year, three Omani fishermen found 80 kilograms of ambergris and sold it for USD 3 million.
The two men, Rohaman and Hasan, went out to fishing at dawn when they noticed the large yellow chunks washed up on the sand in Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand.
They later took the yellow wax back home and asked residents in their village, who said the moldy rocks was the priceless ambergris - a valuable ingredient in the fragrance industry.
Rohaman and Hasan also tested the waxy lumps by melting and floating a small part of them in water to identify them as Ambergris.
They then kept all of them in the frozen box in order to maintain its quality. They weighed a total of 6.6lbs.
If the find is high quality ambergris, it could be worth more than 100,000USD, based on previous sales prices of around 17,000USD per lb.
They said they did research for more information about the whale vomit on the internet before and affirmed that 12 blocks might be the valuable ambergris for sure.
Rohaman said: "I was shocked finding the priceless whale vomit for the first time in my hometown. All of the twelve pieces of yellow wax shoud be wort a lot. Anyone can visit us to admire their beauty.''
Ambergris is formed in the digestive tracts of whales and a sought-after ingredient in the perfume industry. Marine biologists say that lumps of ambergris can sometimes float in the ocean for more than 100 years after it is formed from a secretion of the bile duct in the intestines of the sperm whale. The liquid then solidifies in the ocean and matures over many years.
In October 2019, fisherman Jumrus Thiachot, 55, found a 14 lbs piece of ambergris while he was walking along the beach in Koh Samui also in southern Thailand. While two months later, beach scavenger Surachet Chanchu found a 37 lbs waxy lump that he believes is valuable whale vomit.
In April 2016, a 1.57 kilogram ambergris ball found in Lancashire sold for GBP50,000 while in November of the same year, three Omani fishermen found 80 kilograms of ambergris and sold it for USD 3 million.