A lucky man !
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
China
February 2, 2013 12:20am CST
Yesterday a News interested me: an Englishman found a lump of ambergris thought to be worth about £ 100,000 when he was walking his dog along beach.At the start ,he didn't take any notice of it and came home.He was really a knowledgeable one.It occurred to him that what he found was like ambergris ,then he search it online.He finally went back and picked it up . Ambergris is sperm whale 's intestinal secretion,used as a fixative in perfumes.In addition, It has great medicinal value.There was an account of it in "A supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica"- a literature of Traditional Chinese Medicine ,published in 1765A.D.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/its-floating-gold-dog-walker-finds-horrible-smelling-lump-of-sperm-whale-vomit-worth-100000-8475406.html
875.
4 people like this
22 responses
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
2 Feb 13
He is indeed a lucky man. Being unemployed, it could be of great help to him.
I think when if i chanced upon that weird thing, i would not mind getting it, if i smell how it smells. 
But from this story, this odd smelling thing turns out to be the " floating gold. "
I am going to take note of this, so when i am on the beach i would not just ignore this kind of thing. 
But from this story, this odd smelling thing turns out to be the " floating gold. "
I am going to take note of this, so when i am on the beach i would not just ignore this kind of thing. 2 people like this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
7 Feb 13
I think all of us has that natural reaction specially when there is a weird smell. 
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
3 Feb 13
Hi,Simplyd and Babyanna,to be honest,if I happened on it,I would take my eyes off the dirty yellow stuff.I have never seen it even though I am a pharmacist by profession.
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
29 Oct 19
Wow such great luck and blessing for this man to find it.
I wish I found it today
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
30 Oct 19
You never know ,you might strike gold one day .
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
3 Feb 13
Yes, it was a gift from the Gods.But then ,if it were another one,what would happen ? "You never know your luck."May good luck be yours!
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
3 Feb 13
You are right! If he threw his money about,he would soon be skint.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
7 Dec 15
Yes,there were both necessity and contingency in this story .
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
4 Feb 13
In my life I have spent a fair bit of time walking along beaches. Who knows?...maybe I have walked past some of this stuff and not known what it is.
I think if you came across something foul smelling in the sand, you would walk around it holding your nose and pulling a face...you would certainly not pick it up and take it home.
Next time I will though.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
10 Feb 13
Obviously the man has heard of ambergris before and knew what it was like in a way,even though he hasn't seen it for himself.This is why he couldn't take his mind off it and searched for it online after coming home.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
3 Feb 13
Same here,it was such a stuff with little attention and horrible smell that few people would have thought it was worth so much.But then,thanks to his dog madge that dug it up.Floating monetary note was quite a find too.
@celticeagle (166761)
• Boise, Idaho
2 Feb 13
I hope it was what he thought it was and he got that amount for it. I bet he use it too. Most people now days can.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
2 Feb 13
I think so too.I feel for the man,because he is out of work.
1 person likes this
@much2say (55564)
• Los Angeles, California
2 Feb 13
My kids are always finding stuff to touch on the beach . . . and most of the time we just say "wow" and tell them to keep on going. My kids like "gold" right now because of the rewards from video games, I suppose - so if they came across finding something gold colored, they would certainly take interest in it. But I guess I had no idea what ambergris was or even existed until today - that if we had found that, we would have not thought anything of it and kept on walking. How many of us might have done that? We should go to the beach more often - ha ha.
Who would ever think some smelly rock would be worth all that money?! I wonder if there are "professionals" who find ambergris and make their income that way? In any case, looks like that man sort of hit the lottery - what a find!
Yay, a discussion from changjiangzhibin89! 
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
3 Feb 13
To be blunt,I would walk away from it, if I happened on it.I am a licensed pharmacist,but I haven't seen the ambergris.I only know it is a precious Traditional Chinese Medicine.I guess the beach will come alive, if the news circles round.
@much2say (55564)
• Los Angeles, California
3 Feb 13
Ah. So as a pharmacist, what do you think of "traditional" Chinese medicine? I have tried some various herbs (for an injury) - and I really couldn't say if it did help or not - but I will say it did not taste good - ha ha. That being said, I do believe that acupuncture works. But if not for Chinese medicine, Chanel (perfumeries) want that floating gold, right? I assuming it's a rare find . . . otherwise it would not be so precious.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
5 Feb 13
There is no denying the fact that at present many people in the world don't accept the traditional Chinese Medicine as much as they do with acupuncture,even some get it wrong.I assure you that it does work and sometimes works wonders,especially for chronic desease ,subhealth and some deseases failed to respond to western medicine.The problem is that the doctors some people see aren't the truly ones of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
3 Feb 13
I agree with you.Internet goes a long way towards our life.But then again, the guy was savvy enough to look it up online.
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
2 Feb 13
I think luck comes around every man in his life time, you and me are no exception, but how you maintain it or manage to stay on top is a different story, some people don't even notice that they have it in them already cause it comes in different forms not just finding something rare or unusual.
.@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
3 Feb 13
yes my friend, the internet does that sometimes, good luck to you too especially this coming Chinese lunar New year
, may you be blessed with the desires of your heart and with something that is really for you
, may you be blessed with the desires of your heart and with something that is really for you@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
6 Feb 13
Thank you very much!I remember you have mentioned your family is of China descent.I wonder if you still keep some customs here alive.May all your wish come true in the new year.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
3 Feb 13
What you said is so right! But then,It also depends on whether or not one seizes the opportunity.What if the guy didn't look it up online ? Internet does us a power of good. good luck !
@francesca5 (1344)
•
2 Feb 13
I missed that story, he was obviously meant to find it.
The fact that he was unemployed, and yet could recognise ambergris when he found it, when walking his dog, perhaps says something about the wrong priorities of the uk economy.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
3 Feb 13
I don't know what the wrong priorities aimed at, however few people are so lucky like the man.
@BarBaraPrz (47274)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
2 Feb 13
Yeah, I heard about that. Some people have all the luck!
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
3 Feb 13
Yes,he was fortunate enough to find it.He should thank his dog for digging up it.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
2 Feb 13
Yes,the man never dreams he would make a fortune one day.
@UtopianIdealist (1604)
• United States
3 Feb 13
That is something to keep in mind... something that you see as waste could be valuable elsewhere. Though, there are many beaches where they will not allow you to remove anything, so I wonder in the instances of that sort of thing, does someone stealthly take it away? Do they call the companies who would profit? Does it get eaten by another animal, naturally decompose, or go back out to sea?
@Mavic123456 (21893)
• Thailand
3 Feb 13
what is he going to do about it? will he sell it? or make products using it
@Panda_Bear (3)
•
3 Feb 13
WOAH! Sometimes i wonder, how does whale sperm ever manage to wash up on beaches? I mean you would expect it to sink to the bottom of the ocean or something, or maybe they just mated close to shore
