# $1 million worth of "whale vomit" - lucky family finds block of ambergris **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 25, 2006, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489 "2006-01-25T01:52:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/1 "2006-01-25T01:52:12Z")
[Story here.](http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17928474-13762,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/2 "2006-01-25T02:16:21Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > [Story here.](http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17928474-13762,00.html) It beats being splattered by seagulls, that´s for sure. _Mental note, take extra large rubber index finger when diving with whales_ ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/3 "2006-01-25T02:32:52Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > _Mental note, take extra large rubber index finger when diving with whales_ You don’t need to do that. Just wear a wetsuit. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/4 "2006-01-25T02:39:23Z")
Thank you, **Sunspace** , I now know who to sign my therapy bills over to. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/5 "2006-01-25T02:43:57Z")
I found a big ol’ rock of crack about that size when I was walking on the beach, but did the DEA let me keep it and become a millionaire? Noooooo. Just goes to show how The Man is keeping you down here in the US. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/6 "2006-01-25T03:33:53Z")
The gal in the picture didn’t look terribly happy, for someone who’s suddenly a million clams (ha!) in the red. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/7 "2006-01-25T03:39:32Z")
Aaah, but is it pronounced ‘ambergriss’ or ‘ambergree’? That is the question millions of Futurama fans ponder… ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/8 "2006-01-25T03:50:14Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > Aaah, but is it pronounced ‘ambergriss’ or ‘ambergree’? I’ve only ever heard the latter pronunciation (à la the French word _gris_, meaning grey). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/9 "2006-01-25T04:43:42Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > Thank you, **Sunspace** , I now know who to sign my therapy bills over to. 😃 I just think this is one of the most bizarre things I have ever heard. Imagine their reactions: In office of oceanographer: “I found this lump on the beach. Any idea what it is?” “It’s whale vomit…” “Oh gross!” “…and it’s worth about a million bucks to perfume manufacturers.” “Wha–?” :: pause :: “Yay! We’re rich! All because of whale vomit!” “I’m still making you clean the back seat of the car by hand. Even if we can afford to get a new one now. Couldn’t you have put it in a plastic bag?” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/10 "2006-01-25T05:01:52Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > You don’t need to do that. Just wear a wetsuit. 🙂 You´re definetly braver than I. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/11 "2006-01-25T05:46:08Z")
Hmmm… This makes me wonder if I can cheaply make something indistinguishable from whale vomit that’s been floating around for a decade at sea… ::wanders off muttering about hurling into fish tanks:: ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/12 "2006-01-25T06:09:15Z")
The word _amber_ comes from Arabic and originally referred to the whale stuff washed up on the beach. The Arabic word for it, ‘_anbar_, originally referred to the whale itself, but was later transferred to the whale’s, uh, product. Why whales were called ‘anbar: it’s derived from the verbal root ‘_abara_ ‘to go across’, with an augmentative infix _-n-_. Probably implying that the whale is a creature big and powerful enough to swim clear across the sea. Since both ambergris and yellow amber (from tree sap) are used in perfume, it’s an interesting coincidence that another word derived from the same root is ‘_abir_, perfume. Because scent wafts across the room to you. The name amber became transferred from the whale stuff to the tree stuff; after all, they’re both valuable ingredients used in perfumery found washed up on the seashore. Once yellow amber became the word’s primary significant, the original item had to be specified as “gray amber,” _amber gris_. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-million-worth-of-whale-vomit-lucky-family-finds-block-of-ambergris/341489/13 "2006-01-25T06:24:12Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > The gal in the picture didn’t look terribly happy, for someone who’s suddenly a million clams (ha!) in the red. First, she’s squatting right over the damn thing, which has got to smell rather foul. Second, I think you mean in the black. And may I just say that is a whale of a cash prize? 😃