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One of the most unexpected things happened to a group of fishermen from Yemen. Call it kismet, but who knew that a sperm whale carcass would bring the men such great fortune? Apparently fishermen in Yemen are well aware that some whales contain such treasure, but it doesn’t happen that often. Thankfully for these men, a fellow fisherman from Sariah told them about the dead carcass of a whale floating in the oceans, and that it might just have a treasure buried deep within its belly.
The 35 fishermen, that have been living in poverty in the war-ravaged nation of Yemen, could have never known that the giant sperm whale was hiding more than just some bloody and deceased intestines in its belly, but knowing there was a chance at treasure, they hauled the giant marine animal to shore. Given that it did have a strong fecal odor, which is normally produced due to ambergris, they were more than happy to dissect the whale to see if they were right.
And what they would end up finding was a 127 kilogram lump of solid, black colored ambergris that happened to be worth $1.5 million.
Ambergris happens to be a waxy substance that looks more like a rock than it does a jewel. Notably, it is also often referred to as “whale vomit” since it normally develops deep within the intestines of the marine animal. Actually, it happens to be a byproduct of the whales eating cephalopods like cuttlefish and squid.
Interestingly, it is also considered an illegal substance with the United States since the ambergris is a byproduct of an endangered animal. Rather, they can only purchase it if it happens to be an ingredient in one of the pricier perfumes on the market.
There are times when ambergris is found floating around in the oceans waters, or sometimes it washes up on the beach after whales vomit it out, or so the story goes. While this type of substance may not be recognizable to everyone, for those that do know what it is, they’re aware of it’s supposed medicinal and aphrodisiac qualities. It is also more popularly used to make expensive perfumes.
A BBC News report shared that one of the fishermen said, “if you find whale ambergris it’s a treasure.”
They explained that one of the fishermen mentioned how some sperm whales have ‘rare treasure in its bowls’ and given the outcome, they weren’t wrong.
One of the fishermen explained, “As soon as we got close to it, there was this strong smell, and we had the feeling that this whale had something. We decided to hook the whale in, take it to the shore and to cut into it to see what was inside its belly. And yes, it was ambergris. The smell wasn’t very nice but [it is worth] lots of money.”
He added, “It’s like an unbelievable dream. Wonderful feelings I can’t describe.”
Another fisherman told BBC, “It was an unimaginable price. We never expected this thing would give us such a huge amount.”
While ambergris can be referred to as “whale vomit,” others call it “treasure of sea” or even “floating gold,” mostly because it can sell for a whopping $50,000 per kilogram.
The fishermen have been living in fear and war since 2014, having suffered from continuous attacks led by the Saudi Arabia military coalition on Yemen. For almost a decade, the country has been riddled by war and famine to the point that the United Nations just declared last October that around 80% of the country’s population, which is estimated to be more than 24 million people, need both aid and protection.
Thankfully for these 35 fishermen, having sold the ambergris for $1.5 million and equally dividing the money amongst themselves means that they can not only feed their families, but they can also remove themselves from their “poverty” status with the promise of a better life. Amazingly, the men are even reportedly helping those that have helped them in the past, as well as other villagers in need.
Moreover, they have managed to buy their families homes, cars, and boats so that they can continue to fish and maybe, just maybe, find themselves more treasure in the belly of another dead beast.
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