A BEACH walker who found a stinky yellow rock is celebrating — after it turned
out to be a lump of whale sick worth £100,000.
Ken Wilman’s boxer Madge discovered the object in Morecambe, Lancs.
He didn’t have a clue what it was, but a check on the internet revealed Ken
had landed a rare piece of ambergris — a valuable ingredient used in perfume.
Jobless Ken, 48, said: “It smelled horrible. I left it, came home and looked
it up on the net. When I saw what it could be worth I went back and grabbed
it. It’s like finding a bag of cash.”
A French dealer offered Ken £50,000, but experts say the vomit could be worth
up to £115,000, depending on its freshness.
Charlie Naysmith, eight, found a £40,000 piece of ambergris, which hardens
after it is ejected by sperm whales, near Bournemouth last year.
Stinking rich
SOME say ambergris has a smooth, flowery scent — others say it smells like
manure.
Perfume makers such as Chanel have for centuries used the “floating gold” to
make fragrances last and help them bind to skin.