Woman taking seaside stroll spots 30kg of whale vomit worth over S$4 million

Those who like taking walks by the beach might be motivated to take longer strolls after a woman stumbled upon whale vomit worth millions.

The story of a 30-year-old woman named Aunmanee Sarirayoh went viral among Thai netizens following her discovery of the rare commodity.

Ms Sarirayoh was out walking by a beach in Pattani, a southern town in Thailand, when she found 30kg of whale vomit.

She took the mass home and got it checked at the Scientific Research Center in Prince of Songkla University.

Bangkokbiznews reported that the substance was confirmed to be genuine whale vomit, worth about ฿100 million (S$4.1 million).

Ms Sarirayoh said she would donate some of the money from selling the whale vomit to a religious organisation and those in need.

According to Britannica, whale vomit or ambergris is used for medicines, potions, spices and as a stabiliser for fine perfumes.

Ambergris has been called the “treasure of the sea” or “floating gold” and is considered one of the strangest natural occurrences in the world, reported abplive.com.

The solid waxy substance is produced by sperm whales and usually has a disagreeable colour when fresh. However, exposure to seawater, sun, and air cause ambergris to harden and fade, giving it a subtle, pleasant scent.

Ambergris is commonly found on the coasts of South Africa, Brazil, Madagascar, the East Indies, China, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand and The Maldives.

Here’s a chunk of ambergris sold for S$23,803 at an auction in 2015. /TISG

Back at work to discover a big lump of ambergris (whale vomit) consigned for the next auction, worth a fortune pic.twitter.com/QHk47Pr5bi

— Adam Partridge (@apauctioneers) August 25, 2015

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