THROWING UP CASH
A BROKE fisherman has got stinking rich after spotting a vast lump of whale vomit worth £250,000.
Jumrus Thiachot, 55, discovered the 14lbs piece of Ambergris while he was walking along the beach in southern Thailand earlier this year.
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The fisherman - unsure of what it was - kept it in his shed and carried on working, earning around 400 baht (£10.25) a day.
Jumrus asked neighbour to help him check the substance and they ''cut slices off'' but told him their tests had not been successful.
GENUINE ARTICLE
Officials from the local government finally visited the fisherman at his home on Tuesday, where they confirmed the waxy lump was genuine whale vomit.
Jumrus's prize catch, discovered in Koh Samui of Surat Thani, could be worth as much as $320,000 (£250,000), based on previous sale prices of Ambergris.
The cash-strapped fisherman said that he had been waiting for almost a year before he contacted the authorities.
He said: "Three of my neighbours came after my nephew told the villagers that I found a whale vomit.
"They asked for slices and said that they will run some checks to prove that it was really a whale vomit, but they said the tests didn't show anything.
"I needed to know the truth, so that why I contacted the authorities to check. Now I know it is real whale vomit I will sell it.''
What is Ambergris?
- Ambergris is a solid, flammable substance, usually grey or black in colour, produced in the disgestive system of sperm whales.
- It can often be found floating on the sea or washed up on the coast after it has oxidised, becoming hard.
- The vomit initially has a marine, stinky odour, but goes on to acquire a sweet, earthy scent as it ages.
- Ambergris was used by the Ancient Egyptians as incense, while in modern Egypt it's used for scenting cigratetes.
- Perfume makers such as Chanel have for centuries used the 'floating gold' to make fragrances last and help them bind to skin.
Surat Thani provincial governor Witchawuth Jinto arrived with specialists and they confirmed that the chunk contained more than 80 percent of Ambergris.
Witchawuth said they are now advising Jumrus on what he should do next to get the best price for his lucky find.
Ambergris is produced by sperm whales when their bile ducts in the gastrointestinal tract make secretions to ease the passage of large or sharp objects. The whale them vomits the mucilage which solidifies and has a foul smell.
However, after the mucilage dries out the chunk will start to smell good which makes it a sought-after ingredient in the perfume fragrance industry, because of its good long-lasting smell.
In April 2016, a 1.57 kilogram ambergris ball found in Lancashire sold for £50,000, while in November of the same year, three Omani fishermen found 80 kilograms of ambergris and sold it for £2.3million.
Also in 2016, Alan Derrick and his son flogged a "smelly rubbery" rock the found on Morecambe beach in Weston-super-mare, Somerset, for £65,000.
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