Aussie dad’s rare find on beach following ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred
A man claims to have found a rare item - reportedly worth up to a whopping $59,000 a kilogram - washed up on a beach after ex-TC Alfred.
An Aussie dad has claimed to have found a rare substance reportedly worth up to $59,000 per kilogram washed up on a beach following ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous, told Yahoo News he was picking up shells along a beach near the Queensland-NSW border when he found a piece of ambergris.
Ambergris is a waxy substance made in the digestive systems of sperm whales.
The substance is often used as an ingredient in perfumes and could be worth up to $59,000 per kilogram, according to reports from Yahoo.
The Aussie dad claimed he “instantly knew it was a whale byproduct” when he made the discovery, and said he quickly consulted friends who were “high-ranked in fields of marine ‘taxidermy’” and another friend who was a marine biology professor.
The University of Tasmania’s Michael Stoddart told Yahoo the substance appeared to be ambergris based on its colour and texture, though traces of squid beaks in the substance would be better confirmation.
Professor Stoddart said the substance was part of whale poo, which turned a greyish white colour and slowly began to smell musty and damp after years floating in the ocean with saltwater and sunlight.
He said there was not “much to get excited about” in any event, as ambergris could not be monetised in Australia.
“Most finds turn out not to be ambergris, so I’d caution anyone not to get too excited,” Professor Stoddart said.
“Anyway, it can’t legally be monetised in Australia so there’s not much to get excited about!”
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water says ambergris findings should be reported to state or territory environmental departments, as the whale product fell under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
The man told Yahoo he was contacting authorities to see if he’d be able to keep the find.
The find comes after the emergence of shocking footage of Queensland beaches in the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
The system was downgraded to a tropical low as it approached the mainland on Saturday but still caused significant damage, with fierce winds ripping up homes and trees and heavy rainfall causing dangerous flash flooding across South East Queensland and northern NSW.
Beaches have suffered significant erosion, with dramatic cliffs of sand spotted along Queensland beaches.
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