British Boy Stumbles Upon Extremely Valuable Whale Vomit

thepostgame.com ^ | August. 29, 2012 | Robbie Levin

[Free ThinkerNY]

One whale's trash is an 8-year-old boy's treasure.

Charlie Naysmith was walking along the beach at Hengistbury Head in southern Britain when he picked up a large object that looked and felt like a stone.

As it turned out, that object was actually a piece of ambergris, a substance which is regurgitated by sperm whales. Ambergris is used to prolong the scent of perfume, and therefore is extremely valuable.

The vomit, which weighs a little more than one pound, could be worth as much as $63,000.

[dfwgator]

Inspector: Forget your sales! We’ve got to protect the public! Now what about this one, number five, it was number five, wasn’t it? Number five: Ram’s Bladder Cup. (beat) Now, what sort of confectionery is that?

Mr. Hilton: Oh, we use only the finest juicy chunks of fresh Cornish Ram’s bladder, emptied, steamed, flavoured with sesame seeds, whipped into a fondue, and garnished with lark’s vomit.

Inspector: LARK’S VOMIT?!?!?

Mr. Hilton: Correct.

Inspector: It doesn’t say anything here about lark’s vomit!

Mr. Hilton: Ah, it does, on the bottom of the box, after ‘monosodium glutamate’.

Inspector: I hardly think that’s good enough! I think it’s be more appropriate if the box bore a great red label: ‘WARNING: LARK’S VOMIT!!!’

Mr. Hilton: Our sales would plummet!

[YankeeinOkieville]

Sorry, reporter, but whales do not vomit ambergris. It is made in a lower stomach and the impaction of squid beaks is either expelled when the whale is dead and the carcass eviscerated by scavengers and the elements or -more rarely - small pieces may break free and pass - though not through the mouth. It would certainly be helpful if writers who call themselves reporters would do a bit of research once-in-a-while and stop advancing this “vomit” falsehood.

[YankeeinOkieville]

I saw a recent storage auction show where they found some in a locker, but it’s illegal to sell in the US. How selling a whale’s vomit is going to hurt the whales is unclear, but that’s the government for you.

Person on that show should've done his research: that law was removed in recent years due to ambergris being not in any way endangering to sperm whales.

[Hugin]

They took it to a museum, and the guy ther told them what it was and also told them it was illegal to sell, so they donated it to the museum. Either the guy didn’t know the law was changed, or he scammed them!

[YankeeinOkieville]

Either the guy didn’t know the law was changed, or he scammed them!

Or the museum scammed him. If they (the museum) truly did not understand the law then shame on them.

[Doc91678]

Actually there are different grades of Ambergris. Grey is the most suitable for use in fine perfumery. Normally the Ambergris in macerated in ethyl alcohol 4 ounces to 128 ounces. Now the truth is that ambergris is not used in fragrances for years. Synthetics have replaced it's use. But it is nice to see that Ambergris is still found floating about.

[YankeeinOkieville]

ow the truth is that ambergris is not used in fragrances for years. Synthetics have replaced it's use

1 - Generalizations are generally wrong (including this absurd assertion) 2 - Ambrox will never come close enough for les monsieurs de 31 rue Cambon et autres nez particulier

[Trod Upon]

Ah yes, nothing seduces the senses like the scent of...whale puke.

[Cymbaline]

Ping

[Doc91678]

Who said anything about Ambrox? I was commenting on the use of Ambergris in the manufacture of perfumes. There have been many “fixeur” chemicals manufactured throughout the years. Ethylene Brassylate comes to mind, Ambrettolide and many other chemicals manufactured by companies like IFF, Firmenich, Givaudan, and others fragrance manufacturers. The object is to create a fragrance with long lasting effects. If you will notice I indicated a cheap to high end chemical used in the industry.

[Doc91678]

Who said anything about Ambrox? I was commenting on the use of Ambergris in the manufacture of perfumes. There have been many “fixeur” chemicals manufactured throughout the years. Ethylene Brassylate comes to mind, Ambrettolide and many other chemicals manufactured by companies like IFF, Firmenich, Givaudan, and others fragrance manufacturers. The object is to create a fragrance with long lasting effects. If you will notice I indicated a cheap to high end chemical used in the industry.

[Daffynition]

This may beat the 5,000 y/o gum found by Brit student.

[Mountain Bike Vomit Carnage]

Thanks for the ping. I have a farm on a bay in the North Channel between Ireland and the UK. There are 6 species of whales that pass by in the narrows. I bet I have tons of whale vomit on the beach down there.

I’m rich!!

[OB1kNOb]

Things like this beg me to wonder what the first person was thinking when he picked up some whale vomit and thought to himself, “I wonder if this would help me make a better perfume?”