Wonderful Whale Washup
The next time you’re walking along the beach and come across a grayish, unidentifiable blob, you might not want to ignore it. According to this report, one family in Australia was doing just that when they stumbled across a sample of ambergris worth over $1 million!
So why does this story make the Beauty Brains? Well, it turns out ambergris (or whale vomit) is one of the many natural materials used by perfume companies for creating fragrances. Apparently, one gram of the stuff is worth $20 (US). That’s over $9000 per pound!
The natural material is not used very often anymore because it is extremely rare and it comes from whales (a protected species). Fortunately, crafty chemists have devised suitable synthetic replacements. See, just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s good. Think about that the next time you see advertising telling you differently.
Incidentally, if you are a US citizen and were planning on heading to the beach to seek your blobish fortune, think twice. In the US, possession of ambergris is a violation of the Endangered Species Act of 1978 and could result in significant fines and even some jail time.
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