Man Discovers Odd Lump on Beach That’s Worth Thousands

Imagine walking along the beach and stumbling upon an object that’s worth thousands of dollars. That hypothetical incident became a reality for one fisherman who discovered an odd lump on the Irvine Beach in Scotland.

The fisherman and his pup were out walking when the dog dropped her ball at the sight of an oddly-shaped rock. Little did they know it was actually a rare lump of whale vomit that could be worth millions.

The substance is called ambergris, and, although it may not sound like something you’d find valuable on a beach, its use in high-end perfumes makes it highly sought after.

Most people have never heard of ambergris before, let alone seen it on the beach. It’s produced in the intestine of sperm whales and is made up of a waxy substance that protects their intestinal tract when they can’t regurgitate problem foods.

Once expelled by the whale into the ocean, it floats until washing up on shore – waiting for treasure hunters to stumble across its unique form. The material dates back 1.75 million years and has been used by humans for over one thousand years as “treasure from the sea” or “floating gold” for its ability to fix scent to skin better than any synthetic substitute available today – making it still highly desirable among perfume makers all over the world.

The exact value depends entirely on how impressed someone in charge of electing scent is with its aroma – bidding substantial amounts if necessary! Larger lumps have sold for millions and even this 5oz lump found at Irvine Beach could bring its owner quite a bit more than pocket change. In fact, one chunk found in Canary Islands this year weighed 21 pounds and was valued at £394,000.

A common way to test whether what you’ve found is actually ambergris is to heat up a needle and lay it against your rock – if it melts quickly into liquid wax then congratulations. You’ve just hit paydirt.