A group of Yemeni fishermen had their lives changed with whale vomit.
The odorous organic material – also known as ambergris – came from a sperm whale carcass in the Gulf of Aden, according to the BBC.
Inside the floating whale’s stomach was 280 pounds of ambergris, which is a solid digestive substance that’s used in the fragrance industry for scent stabilization, Britannica reports.
The material is created when a sperm whale can’t digest beaks from squid and cuttlefish, according to recent theories that believe ambergris is regurgitated as a protective mechanism following intestinal irritation.
Thirty-five men reeled in the deceased whale under the suspicion that the whale contained ambergris based on its smell, one of the fishermen explained in a video interview with the BBC.
The 280 pounds of ambergris was reportedly sold for $1.5 million to a trader in the United Arab Emirates, according to The India Times.
Meanwhile, the collection and sale of ambergris is illegal in the U.S. due to it being a byproduct from an endangered species per policies set in place by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Over in Yemen though, the fishermen split their seven-figure catch and have bought cars, homes and boats while also making charitable donations to their village, according to the BBC.
Link:Fox News