A group of 35 Yemeni fishermen sold a chunk of whale vomit weighing 280 pounds for $1.5 million dollars.
The vomit, known as ambergris, is a valuable commodity in many parts of the world. Sperm whales often eat squid, but they are unable to digest their beaks, so they produce the sticky substance to aid digestion and sometimes vomit it up.
“The smell wasn’t very nice, but [it gave us] lots of money,” one of the fishermen reportedly said.
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Yemen is one of the world’s poorest countries. The late-May finding allowed them to buy houses and cars, making them desirable bachelors, they said. They also gave some of the money to charitable causes in their village.
The men got a call from another nearby group of fishermen who told them that there was a dead whale floating in the water that might have ambergris in its belly.
After they decided to boat out and investigate, they found the carcass just as their colleagues described, they said.
They towed the whale into shore and dissected it, finding the giant chunk in its belly.
“As soon as we got close, it had this strong smell, and we had the feeling that this whale had something,” one of the fishermen said.
When the fishermen recovered the ambergris, they found a trader from the United Arab Emirates who was willing to pay them $1.5 million, the India Times reported. Perfume companies use ambergris to preserve the smell of their fragrances.
Humans have used ambergris for over 1,000 years. Uses include medicine, celebrations, and food, according to the University of Chicago.
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For the fishermen, they plan to continue their fishing even with their million-dollar find.
“I have to keep going to sea even if I don’t get anything,” one of them said. “It’s in my blood.”
