From Jonathan Turley:
Brit Ken Wilman, 50, is a wealthy man after his dog Madge starting playing with a smelly rock on the beach. It turned out to be a rare piece of whale vomit. However, that is not the interesting thing about the story. What is interesting is that the whale vomit is worth more than £100,000.
I had no idea that whale vomit is used in the making of perfume. It is called ambergris and starts with a marine fecal smell that evolves into a sweeter smell over time. For some reason, perfume makers love the stuff from the digestive system of whales.
This material is excreted through a whale’s mouth. A bidding war has started over Wilman’s whale vomit. It appears that England is the place to find such nuggets judging from an earlier find.
It is illegal to use ambergris in the United States because of the sperm whale’s endangered status. However, it can still garner a huge price in France, Switzerland, and other countries.
So, if you come across a smelly rock on the beach, you might not want to throw it back. It may be your puked ticket to paradise.
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