Siriporn Niamrin, 49, saw a strange lump after a heavy downpour on the coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand. Thinking it might be worth a little money, Siriporn pulled the lump back to her house, about 500 meters from the beach, on February 23rd.
She talked to her neighbors and was shocked to discover the material could be whale vomit - an important ingredient, known as 'ambergris', used in making perfumes like Chanel No5.
Checking Its Authenticity
To check its authenticity, Siriporn and her neighbors were holding a bare fire to some of its parts making it to melt. Then it solidified again after cooling.
Her neighbors said the bad smell could also be an indication that the woman saw an actual chunk of ambergris. The oval lump weighed 7 kg, was approximately 12 inches wide and 24 inches long.
Based on the past sale prices, the Ambergris mass would give an estimated value of approximately £186,500. Siriporn is now expecting experts to come to her home to confirm that the lump is actually ambergris.
The woman said that she had real ambergris, It can help her community once she finds a buyer. She's overjoyed that she saw the great show and hopes it makes her earn money as she has kept it safe in her house and she has even asked the city officials to come and have a look.
Also Read: Rare Whale Vomit Considered As Floating Gold, Costs $70,000; Will It Endanger Sperm Whales?
The Role in the Fragrance Industry
Its value depends on its role in the fragrance industry as high-end perfumes from houses like Chanel and Lanvin use it to fix fragrance to human skin, according to National Geographic.
The substance is produced by sperm whales when the bile ducts in the gastrointestinal tract make secretions to facilitate the passage of large or sharp objects.
These whales vomits the mucilage that congeals and floats on the surface of the ocean. A 200lb lump was sold a few years ago for a whopping £1 million.
Last year, a fisherman was walking by the beach when he spotted several rocky lumps washed up on a beach in Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand. Naris Suwannasang and his family members tested the surface of the Rocky lumps by burning it with a lighter, making it melt immediately.
The Biggest Whale Vomit
According to Naris, the blocks weighed 220lb - or 100kg - clearly making it one of the biggest whale vomit found. In 2019, another fisherman discovered a 14lbs piece of Ambergris as he was walking along a beach in southern Thailand.
Jumrus Thiachot, 55, kept it his shed and continued to work, earning close to 400 baht (£10.25) a day. When officials from the local government came to his home, they affirmed the waxy lump was absolutely whale vomit.
Also in 2016, Alan Derrick and his son smashed a smelly rubbery rock spotted on the beach in Morecambe in Weston-super-mare, Somerset, for £65,000.
Related Article: Fisherman Finds the "World's Largest Blob of Whale Vomit"
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