Picking up a fragrant rock on the beach, a fisherman unexpectedly won billions

In March 2020, while fishing at a beach near his home, Mr. Li (Orchid Island, Taiwan) hit a very large rock. The rock was black, weighed several pounds, and had a particularly fragrant smell.

Feeling strange, Mr. Li took the rock home and took a picture to show his friends. One of his friends said that this rock “knew” to give off a fragrant smell, so it could be ambergris. This person advised him to find an expert to confirm the truth.

Mr. Li then contacted Kaohsiung National University to help examine the rock he found. He took a small sample from the rock and sent it to the school.

A few days later, Cheng Shi-Yie, an associate professor of life sciences at the university, confirmed that the rock Mr. Li found was ambergris. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), scientists confirmed that the black stone was a rare treasure.

Ambergris is a waxy, gray substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales. (Photo: Taiwan News)

Ambergris is a waxy gray substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales. There are many species of whales in the world, but only male sperm whales produce ambergris. However, to date, researchers have not had a comprehensive study on the formation process of ambergris.

In the past, ambergris was used in the perfume industry, today it has been largely replaced by synthetic materials, and is only used in some expensive perfumes.

Ambergris is usually found in the form of blocks, lumps of different sizes and shapes. Its weight ranges from 15g to 50kg or even larger. But what makes ambergris so valuable is that inside it there are many different scents, like a bag of 20-30 compounds and each has its own different scent.

Ambergris is considered a “treasure” of the sea and is bought at a very high price on the market. The international market price for each kilogram of ambergris is about 50,000 USD. Thus, the block of ambergris that Mr. Li found is worth up to 210,000 USD (more than 5 billion VND).

Mr. Li was very happy with this “heaven-sent” gift. He said he would sell the ambergris and use the money to support his family.

Quoc Thai (Source: Taiwan News)

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