A woman in Thailand stumbled upon a very lucky find while walking on a beach recently. Siriporn Niamrin, 49, had been walking along a beach on the coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat when she noticed a strange lump in the sand. Ms Niamrin reportedly noticed that the lump smelled a bit like fish and, thinking that it could be worth something, took it back home with her. This happened on February 23, reports The Sun.
Once she was back home, Ms Niamrin asked her neighbours for help in identifying the object she had stumbled upon. She was shocked when told that the misshapen lump was actually whale vomit, also known as ambergris.
According to the Daily Mail, the 12 inches wide and 24 inches long lump of ambergris has an estimated value of 1.86 lakh pounds - or approximately Rs 1.8 crore.
Ambergris is produced in the system of sperm whales and is highly valued by perfumers since it works as a fixative, allowing fragrance to endure for longer.
To check the authenticity of the ambergris she found, Ms Niamrin held a naked flame to it, causing part of it to melt and harden again after cooling down.
She is now waiting for experts to visit her house and check the authenticity of the ambergris. "If I really have the genuine ambergris, I can help my community once I find a buyer for it," she says. "'I feel lucky to have found such a large piece. I hope it will bring me money. I'm keeping it safe in my house and I have asked the local council to visit to check it."
