UK Boy Finds Rare Whale Vomit

See that goodly sized rock that the boy in the photograph below is holding? Yeah, it's not actually a rock. What the boy is holding is a gigantic chunk of whale vomit. Disgusting is it not? I can only imagine the boy's mother standing behind the photographer with a bottle of hand sanitizer at the ready.

What would make a young boy's mother allow him to hold a chunk of whale vomit? The answer to that question is simple, money. Apparently, whale vomit is rare. I can understand that, I didn't even know whales could throw up. Estimates claim that the chunk of vomit could be worth as much as £40,000.

The chunk was discovered by an eight-year-old boy named Charlie Naysmith and it weighs 600 g. The boy discovered the vomitus windfall while strolling on the Hengistbury Head beach near Bournemouth. The material comes from a gigantic sperm whale and is technically called ambergris. The material has a waxy feel and disgustingly, a sweet smell.

I bet you're wondering about now who exactly would want to purchase a chunk of whale vomit. Apparently, the material is highly sought after in the perfume industry because the substance can prolong the scent of perfume. A pound of the material can sell for as much as £6,300. The boy hopes to open an animal rescue center with the money earned from selling the puke chunk.

[via DailyMail]