Whale puke is endangered? Dam! You mean I have to flush all this?
Posted on 06/03/2021 2:16:16 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
A 35-man fishing crew in Yemen netted themselves a hunk of whale vomit worth $1.5 million.
Ambergris, known as "floating gold," is a rare substance found only in the bellies of sperm whales.
The fishermen sold off the 280-pound hunk of ambergris and bought new houses, cars, and boats.
Ambergris is particularly valuable for its use making perfumes' scents last longer. According to National Geographic, Chanel and Lanvin use ambergris in some of their high-end scents.
The substance was a rare find. The fishing boat just happened to haul up a sperm whale's carcass while fishing in the Gulf of Aden, per The India Times. While they were towing it back to shore, the crew determined there might be ambergris in the whale's stomach, because of the strong smell of marine fecal odor that the substance emits.
"The smell wasn't very nice, but it was worth lots of money," one of the fishermen told the BBC.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
my question would be, how the hell did this even come to invention?? how did they find out whale vomit did such a thing????? Crazy!!
“The fishermen sold off the 280-pound hunk of ambergris and bought new houses, cars, and boats.”
$1.5 million/35 = $42,000.
LOL!
If you need comment on this issue, ask Ralph. I spoke to him not long ago on the big phone.
Whenever they blow up a beached whale on your local beach, remember this story.
Only in this world could whale vomit command such a price.
—” how the hell did this even come to invention??”
A fun dive down the rabbit hole...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris
Following months to years of photodegradation and oxidation in the ocean, this precursor gradually hardens, developing a dark grey or black colour, a crusty and waxy texture, and a peculiar odour that is at once sweet, earthy, marine, and animalic.
...Ambergris has historically been used in food and drink. A serving of eggs and ambergris was reportedly King Charles II of England’s favorite dish.[16] A recipe for Rum Shrub liqueur from the mid 19th century called for a thread of ambergris to be added to rum, almonds, cloves, cassia, and the peel of oranges in making a cocktail from The English and Australian Cookery Book.[17] It has been used as a flavoring agent in Turkish coffee[18] and in hot chocolate in 18th century Europe.[19] The substance is considered an aphrodisiac in some cultures.[20]
During the Middle Ages, Europeans used ambergris as a medication for headaches, colds, epilepsy, and other ailments...
Melville devotes the following chapter to a discussion of ambergris, with special attention to the irony that “fine ladies and gentlemen should regale themselves with an essence found in the inglorious bowels of a sick whale.”
—”Whenever they blow up a beached whale on your local beach, remember this story.”
It might help if you knew some of the wrong people?
United States – The possession and trade of ambergris is prohibited by the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris
“It is illegal to even pick the stuff up off the beach in the US.”
Why?
They live in Yemen...$43k will go a long way.
Whoda thunk it!!?? thanks for the EDU!!
BTTT!!
Because it is against the law to possess or trade in and some LEO or other can/will cite/detain/arrest you for a violation of the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
I repulsed my mom and sister the day I came home from school and explained to them that whale vomit was a vital ingredient in all their perfume.
Whale puke is endangered? Dam! You mean I have to flush all this?
Imagine spending hours digging thru a rotten whale carcass to find the hidden ambergris, then a bureaucrat takes it away from you. Being covered by rotten whale goo could protect you from arrest.
Just a thin mint, Mr. Mooresote?
Cankles?
Eau de ralph.
Hackaloogie honey.
Marine mammals protection laws.
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