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Couple thrilled to find rare chunk of whale vomit worth up to $70,000
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | April 14, 2016 | Amy Graff

Posted on 04/14/2016 8:15:43 PM PDT by artichokegrower

Gary and Angela Williams of Northwest England were on a leisurely beach stroll when a pungent rotting-fish smell drew them to a lump of ambergris about the size of an American football.

The couple had read about the waxy excretion formed in the digestion system of sperm whales and often referred to as whale vomit. They knew the substance often used in perfume-making is rare and valuable, and wrapped it in a scarf and took it home.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


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Stupid me. I would have gone "eeewww whale barf" and walked around it.
1 posted on 04/14/2016 8:15:43 PM PDT by artichokegrower
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To: artichokegrower

Actually I believe it is illegal to own or sell ambergris in the US. It is also probably illegal to transport it either across state lines or out of the country.


2 posted on 04/14/2016 8:18:53 PM PDT by Fai Mao
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To: Fai Mao

makes you want to keep a whale in a tank and feed it McDonald’s


3 posted on 04/14/2016 8:20:07 PM PDT by ghosthost
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To: artichokegrower

“Stupid me. I would have gone “eeewww whale barf” and walked around it.”

And yet, you posted this in News/Activism.


4 posted on 04/14/2016 8:21:20 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo (Get Ready)
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To: artichokegrower
"Couple thrilled to find rare chunk of whale vomit worth up to $70,000..."

.... Jeeeez ... Wonder what my vomit is worth ..... Heck .... I'd sell it for half that!

5 posted on 04/14/2016 8:23:06 PM PDT by R_Kangel ( "A Nation of Sheep ..... Will Beget ..... a Nation Ruled by Wolves.")
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To: Fai Mao

“Actually I believe it is illegal to own or sell ambergris in the US.”

I think that does not apply to ambergris when found to have been expelled by the whale.

“In the US, sperm whales are protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which prohibits the use of any product from an endangered species. However, ambergris is regarded as a bit of a ‘grey area’, being a waste product and thus capable of being ‘salvaged’ without needing to harm whales.” http://us.whales.org/blog/2015/09/ambergris-lucky-lucrative-and-legal


6 posted on 04/14/2016 8:23:27 PM PDT by vladimir998 (Apparently I'm still living in your head rent free. At least now it isn't empty.)
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To: artichokegrower
.... So ... let me get this straight ...... Michael Moore goes to the beach and pukes all over the place .... And it's worth money?

.... Only in California .....

7 posted on 04/14/2016 8:25:14 PM PDT by R_Kangel ( "A Nation of Sheep ..... Will Beget ..... a Nation Ruled by Wolves.")
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To: artichokegrower

Whale vomit? The way I heard it, ambergris comes from the other end of the whale.


8 posted on 04/14/2016 8:25:16 PM PDT by Buttons12 ( It Can't Happen Here -- Sinclair Lewis.)
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To: artichokegrower

I learned about ambergris from Encyclopedia Brown and Smelly Nellie 45 years ago.


9 posted on 04/14/2016 8:26:37 PM PDT by treetopsandroofs (Had FDR been GOP, there would have been no World Wars, just "The Great War" and "Roosevelt's Wars".)
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To: ghosthost
makes you want to keep a whale in a tank and feed it McDonald’s

Then it would smell like french fries.

10 posted on 04/14/2016 8:29:48 PM PDT by uglybiker (nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-BATMAN!)
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To: uglybiker

i’d make a giant q-tip to shove down its throat


11 posted on 04/14/2016 8:31:38 PM PDT by ghosthost
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To: uglybiker

I’d yell-”make me some money, b——!!”


12 posted on 04/14/2016 8:32:24 PM PDT by ghosthost
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To: R_Kangel
Only in California

This didn't happen in California. Thanks for playing.

13 posted on 04/14/2016 8:32:27 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: Fai Mao
Wiki sez you're correct =>

United States – The possession and trade of ambergris is prohibited by the Endangered Species Act of 1973.[18]

14 posted on 04/14/2016 8:34:47 PM PDT by Ken H
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To: artichokegrower

whoever figures out a way to administer ipecap to sperm whales will make a fortune.


15 posted on 04/14/2016 8:36:04 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: artichokegrower
Does this mean my 5,000 y/o piece of chewing gum is finally worth something? ;)


16 posted on 04/14/2016 8:38:05 PM PDT by Daffynition ("We have the fight of our lives coming up to save our nation!" ~ Jim Robinson)
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To: artichokegrower

There’s Jimmy Hoffa!


17 posted on 04/14/2016 8:40:29 PM PDT by Catmom (We're all gonna get the punishment only some of us deserve.)
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To: Fai Mao

While technically true (stupid archaic environmental rules which do nothing to help out wildlife), I’ve heard there are way around this if one finds ambergris on the beach.


18 posted on 04/14/2016 8:42:32 PM PDT by JSDude1
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To: ghosthost

**Super-size** it for a big pay day.


19 posted on 04/14/2016 8:43:02 PM PDT by Daffynition ("We have the fight of our lives coming up to save our nation!" ~ Jim Robinson)
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To: artichokegrower

Whale must’ve been listening to Obama speeches.


20 posted on 04/14/2016 8:43:06 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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