Boy discovers piece of whale vomit worth up to $60,000

(CBS News) They say one man's trash is another man's treasure, and that's apparently as true for whales as it is for humans. A young British boy is rich after discovering a piece of whale vomit valued as high as $60,000, according to the local newspaper "Daily Echo."

Charles Naysmith, of the southern English coastal town of Christchurch, made the improbable discovery while taking a nature walk with his parents. Stumbling upon what he believed to be nothing more than an unusual rock, Naysmith and his parents did some research and realized young Charles had found a piece of hardened sperm whale vomit called ambergris.

Ambergris, formed in the intestinal tract of sperm whales and often vomited or secreted into the ocean, is a waxy substance that can be used in perfumes to prolong their scent. The sizable chunk - weighing 600 grams - discovered by the Naysmith family could be worth as much as $60,000 to the right buyer, the Echo estimates.

Charles is still deciding what he might do with his whale vomit windfall. His father, Alex, told the newspaper, "He is into nature and is really interested in it. We have discovered it is quite rare and are waiting for some more information from marine biology experts."

Ambergris is generally soft, waxy and pungent when expelled from sperm whales. The piece discovered by the Naysmiths was most likely floating in the ocean for decades before washing up on the southern England coast. Experts have told the family it is unlikely that similar pieces of ambergris will be found in the area.

[reefannie]

Usually ambergris comes from the intestines, probably created to aid in passing of sharp squid beaks (their main food)and is a biliary secretion. It USED to be used as a perfume base, but no longer as use of synthetics took over. I'm not so sure of it being used for cooking, at least not since Charles II. The scent is said to be similar to musk, when used for perfume bases. If too large to pass, whales can regurgitate.

[tmonta67]

Actually, it's used in cooking recipes as well. Bon appetit.

[Scimajor]

Eau de whale puke? I'll pass.

[hypnotoad72]

Clickbait.

Most people know what ambergris is. Using the layman's terms is just the tabloidization of the modern media, serving the dumbing down of the readers.

[doubleecho-2009]

What a moron!

[CuriousServant]

He is right. The vomit comment is just the media's way of getting attention to the story. Calling him a moron does not make it so... it just makes you look foolish. By the way... they are called sperm whales because the white fluid in their heads, highly valued in the 19th century, is white and and looks like sperm, hence they named the whales the spermacetti.

[ugleyme]

Twas a slighted and cagey man who first thought of having women wear whale puke on their bodies.

"Revenge with impunity."
Edgar Allen Poe, The Cask Of Amontillado.

[rwsmith29456]

If I found a chunk of ambergris I wouldn't know what it was and most likely would throw it back in the ocean.

[formerlyluvnut]

Ohhhhhhhhhh k.

[57vw]

Don't be surprised if the UK government asks for a cut of the money since it was found on their shores.

[hypnotoad72]

Like the hippies say,

"Nobody owns property"... but a couple decades later do a 180 and claim everyone for themselves and at the lowest cost possible...

[john92021]

Vomit might be good for a headline but not that accurate, if it was just whale stomach content it would not be so rare. Then again this is news, accuracy not that important.

[ToolMangler1]

I wonder how these people would react to watching Sausage or any processed meat being made. (Hotdog sales would plummet until common sense finally regained control.)

[skeezix06]

College tuition! Yee Haw!

[hypnotoad72]

*zing*