October 13th 2023.
While walking his beloved pet on the beach in Irvine, Scotland, Patrick Williamson was astounded by what his dog had found. His pup had sprinted towards a mysterious rock on the shore, and it was only until Patrick got closer that he realized it was a 5oz clump of rare ambergris.
Ambergris is a secretion produced in the intestines of sperm whales, and it is highly valuable as it can be used to make perfume. It usually comes out of the whale's mouth, hence why it is nicknamed "whale vomit". It then floats in the sea for years before it eventually washes up on shore.
Patrick knew exactly what it was when he saw it. He said, "I work on a fishing boat, so I knew what ambergris was. I've never seen it before, but I've heard stories about it." He had also tested it with a hot needle and it melted into a waxy, black or brown liquid very quickly, confirming that it was ambergris.
Ambergris is sold by weight and a chunk found in the Canary Islands this year weighed 21 pounds and was valued at £394,000. Patrick said his lump was around 5.5 ounces, which was not too big compared to others that have been found.
He was overwhelmed with the amount of attention he was getting for his discovery. "Everybody's been messaging me - one of my pals even contacted someone at the local paper." Even more incredible, was that in 2015, another dog walker in Wales found a 2.6lb piece of ambergris which was valued at £7,000 and sold at auction.
Patrick said, "I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it! I'm on the beaches all the time. I take my dog with me wherever I go, so we'll be looking every time we land now."
It looks like this fisherman and his pup have hit the jackpot! It's amazing what a curious pup can find on a beach in Scotland. Who knows what kind of valuable discoveries they'll stumble upon next?
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