85-YEAR-OLD’S BEACH DISCOVERY IDENTIFIED BY SEA ZOO’S MARINE EXPERT
AMAN who thought he had struck it rich with a rare lump of whale vomit was disappointed to discover it was just a piece of toxic palm oil.
Colin Cunliffe discovered what he thought was a piece of potentially valuable ambergris while walking along Lligwy Bay in Anglesey on Sunday.
The pungent treasure, produced in the intestines of a sperm whale is used in the production of perfume and is extremely valuable.
Because of this, the substance that’s created to protect the whale’s gut from the sharp beaks of squid that it feeds on, is referred to by scientists as “floating gold”.
But the 85-year-old from Warrington, who is holidaying in the area, had the substance tested yesterday by Anglesey Sea Zoo director Frankie Hobro.
The marine expert revealed it is a “derivative of palm oil” looking very similar to ambergris, that has become common on beaches across the region over the last couple of weeks due to stormy weather.
Mr Cunliffe, who kept it in a jar, said: “I read that someone had found a piece of ambergris on an beach on Anglesey a few years ago. It was sold at auction and they got a few thousand pound for it.
“My eyes have been firmly fixed on the ground whenever I’ve been on the beach ever since.
“So when I noticed this coloured object that looked like a big stone, I picked it up. It didn’t smell of much, but when I cracked it a little, I could see it was dark grey inside and it smelt like manure.
“It was awful.”
Ms Hobro, said despite there being very few occasions where ambergris has been found locally, it is very rare.
“It is so rare it’s dubbed ‘floating gold’ because it’s almost as valuable per kilo as gold,” she said.
“What very common along North Wales beaches is pieces of palm oil that very similar to ambergris. look is
“People aren’t always aware of the dangers of palm oil and tend to handle it when they shouldn’t because it can be toxic.
“If someone thinks they have discovered a piece of ambergris then that’s fine, but we don’t want people going out looking for it.
“Palm oil smells really bad and is riddled with bacteria so if it’s handled by children or dogs, it can be very dangerous.”
Ms Hobro said while ambergris is more of a hard rock, palm oil is softer and more oily.
She added: “Chemical analysis is the only way to be sure.
“We can give our rough opinion but unfortunately we do not have the means to actually analyse it.
“I didn’t know the environmental dangers of palm oil before today, so at least there was something to take from it,” Mr Cunliffe said.