By Tim Binnall
A woman in Thailand may be poised to make a small fortune by way of a sizeable and prized piece of whale vomit that she found on a beach. Siriporn Niamrin reportedly discovered the repugnant substance, known scientifically as ambergris, last week as she was exploring the shore of the coastal Nakhon Si Thammarat province following a rainstorm. Much to her bewilderment, sitting in the sand was a strange blob that measured approximately two feet long by one foot wide and was unlike anything she had ever seen.
Suspecting that the oddity might be valuable, Niamrin actually dragged the 15-pound chunk of curious material back to her home and subsequently enlisted her neighbors to help in identifying it. Her hopes were seemingly confirmed when they indicated that the odd object was probably a piece of ambergris. This was undoubtedly welcome news to Niamrim as such material is highly coveted by perfume makers as it is a hard-to-find, but critical ingredient used to ensure that the scents last longer.
In light of what similar discoveries have fetched in the past, the piece picked up by Niamrin could net her a whopping quarter-of-a-million dollars. The woman is currently awaiting a visit from an expert who will examine the object to determine whether or not it is genuine ambergris and, if so, how much it could be worth. From there, Niamrin plans to sell the fishy-smelling substance and use the money to help her community.