Wanna get rich quick? Find some whale vomit!

[Skorixor]

whale vomit linky

"Moby sick" find lands fragrant fortune


MELBOURNE (Reuters) - An Australian couple could reap a fragrant fortune after what they thought was an odd-looking tree stump turned out to be a rare lump of ambergris, a whale excretion used in perfumes and known as "floating gold."

Loralee and Leon Wright were walking along a remote beach near Streaky Bay in western South Australia state on a fishing trip three weeks ago when they saw the strange object.

"She said 'You're not putting that thing in my car'," the Australian Broadcasting Corp. quoted marine ecologist Ken Jury as saying on its Web site (www.abc.net.au) Wednesday.

Curiosity eventually got the better of the Wrights. Unable to find an answer on the Internet, they went back and got it two weeks later and described it to Jury.

"It immediately struck me as being ambergris -- it couldn't be anything else," Jury said.

"It's actually belched out by the animal, would you believe, and those few across the world that have witnessed that or heard it say it's quite remarkable ... apparently the sound of it travels for miles across the water," he said.

Jury, who is acting for the family, said ambergris can fetch between $20-$65 a gram, The Age newspaper reported on Wednesday. That would make the Wrights' find worth at least

$295,000.

Used in perfumes by ancient Egyptians and mythologized in literary classics like Herman Melville's "Moby Dick," ambergris is spewed out of the intestines of sperm whales.

Scientists theorize it is produced to aid in the removal of hard, sharp objects like squid beaks that whales may eat.

The waxy, foul-smelling substance is lighter than water and can float for years, during which time it is cleansed by the sun and salt water and becomes hard, dark and waxy and develops a rich musky smell prized by perfumers around the world.

"The Egyptians used it. Certainly the Chinese did and they not only used it in perfumes, but they used to eat it and they used to give it as gifts," Jury said.

[Chay-Ara]

holy god i need to get me some whale vomit!

[E-bo Obi]

Damn, I think I stepped in whale shit one time. wonder what that would pull in.

[E-bo Obi]

Its pungent. Burns the nose hairs.

[snado]

Hmmm... Good to get rid of that pesky nasal hair.... Eh E-bo?

[Jabe Adaks]

I read about this, so like they use this for perfume??? WTF?

Jabe

[xyryn]

Yes, they use it for very expensive perfumes...especially for blondes. Perfumes made with musk as a base, tend to smell best on brunettes. Perfumes made with flower oils as a base tend to smell best on redheads. Perfumes made with ambergris tend to smell best on blondes. Something about skin chemistry...

Gentlemen may prefer blondes, but blondes definitely need to prefer gentlemen who are rich...not only for the diamonds, but for the perfumes.

[Sai'nu]

You know... I don't think I can look at Adidas spray the same way again... ever.

[Skorixor]

I wonder if my "High Karate" has some of that stuff in it?

[Sai'nu]

I wonder if my "High Karate" has some of that stuff in it?

Caution: May contain Sumo Wrestler Blubber or Vomit.

[Cryil]

Ah...Reminds me of Futurama

Good times