Downhearted dad and son discover $434k 'treasures'
A son and dad fishermen duo can’t believe their luck after a typical expedition out on the water led to a $434,670 pay day.
Asaree Pooad, 24, from Thailand, cut his fishing trip with his dad short on March 2 due to monsoon rains.
The father and son were downhearted as they returned back to shore empty-handed.
However, they soon noticed two strange chunks floating in the shallow waters.
The young son took the lumps home, with his dad believing they could be the sought-after whale vomit, or ambergris, that they had seen on television.
“When we found them, we had to go home early because of the storm but we ended up finding these treasures,” Asaree said.
To check if the lumps were really ambergris, they sent samples to the Prince of Songkhla University so researchers could inspect them.
“The university confirmed they are real but I am willing to have them tested to again to prove it, if someone is interested in buying them,” Asaree said.
The family was delighted when the result came back positive and was given a certificate saying that the lumps were ambergris, which is produced by sperm whales when bile ducts in the gastrointestinal tract make secretions to ease the passage of large or sharp objects.
The whale then vomits the mucilage, which solidifies and floats on the surface of the ocean.
The solid chunk has a foul smell at first but after the mucilage dries out, it develops a sweet and long-lasting fragrance, which makes it a sought-after ingredient in the perfume industry.
Asaree is now searching for agents that buy ambergris for supplying to manufacturers.
“The university said we may find an international buyer for the ambergris. Until then, we will keep it at home and not rush to sell it,” Asaree added.
Woman's incredible $357k discovery
Last month, Siriporn Niamrin, 49, was walking along the sand after a rainstorm when she noticed the strange mass in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand.
The curious woman approached the substance to have a look and found it had a fishy smell.
Thinking that it could be something she could sell, she dragged it back to her house about 500 metres away.
The woman asked her neighbours for help and was shocked when some of them told her that it could be ambergris, also known as whale vomit.
Based on previous sale prices, the weight gives the chunk of ambergris an estimated value of around A$357,000.
Fishermen become millionaires after 80kg find
In January, a Thai fisherman’s daily trip to catch fish took an incredible turn when he stumbled upon the rare and expensive substance.
The value of the entire lump was estimated to be AUD$371,526.
In December, a couple going for a romantic walk on a Thailand beach found an incredible $792,345 worth of ambergris.
In April 2016, a 1.57kg ambergris ball found in Lancashire sold for A$89,454, while in November of the same year three Omani fishermen found 80kg of ambergris and sold it for A$3,863,880.
Lisnaree Vichitsorasatra/Australscope
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