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Thai Fisherman Offered $3.2 Million for Golden ‘Whale Vomit’

Thai Fisherman Offered $3.2 Million for Golden ‘Whale Vomit’

December 16, 2020
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A Thai fisherman is hoping to cash in as much as $3.2 million on some massive chunks of material he stumbled upon while walking along a local beach.

Strange thing: Narit Suwansang believes that what he came across last week along the coastlines of Nakhon Si Thammarat province is ambergris, a material sometimes referred to as “whale vomit,” Coconuts Bangkok reports. 
  • Suwansang said he got curious when he first saw the yellowish, stone-like material lying on the coast’s shallow waters.
  • Not having seen anything like it before, the 60-year-old took the fragmented material home. 
  • The mysterious chucks were heavy and it took some help from his family members to retrieve them all.
  • Upon careful observation and some online research, Suwansang and his family concluded that what he found may actually be ambergris, which is sometimes described as “floating gold.”
  • He noted that part of the material melted in close contact with the flame of his lighter and emitted a musky odor.
  • Ambergris, which is formed from a secretion of the bile duct in the intestines of the sperm whale, is a highly-valued natural treasure used by the perfume and cosmetics industries, according to the National Geographic.
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Golden vomit: A Phuket businessman has reportedly offered to pay Suwansang 960,000 Thailand Baht ($32,000) per kilogram should it be certified by experts as Grade A ambergris.
  • Suwansang’s find is the heaviest discovered in history at about 100 kilograms (220 pounds).
  • It is estimated to net him around $3.2 million if the deal goes through.
  • If found to be of lower grade, the whale waste product will be worth less.
  • Suwansang is now awaiting confirmation from experts in marine biology who helped him analyze his “whale vomit.”
  • In the meantime, he said he is going to register his find with the police, just in case it gets stolen.
Feature Image via Thairath
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      Ryan General

      Ryan General is a Senior Reporter for NextShark

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