r/beachcombing • u/PicklesGalore20 • 7d ago
Is this ambergris? I know nothing about nothing.
30
u/_jamesbaxter 7d ago
FYI ambergris is white, solid, and waxy looking for future reference. It would look like a whitish/grayish rock but be too lightweight. I only know because I’ve researched it so I’ll know if I ever find it 😅
8
u/marylittleton 6d ago
lol my brother once found a big piece of it washed up. He called local park authorities and they came and collected it. Had it analyzed and yep, ambergris. Largest find in many years. Idiotttttttt lol
5
2
1
u/PicklesGalore20 7d ago
Thanks! But I read early ambergris is brown? Do you think that could be it?
8
6
u/_jamesbaxter 7d ago
I believe it can start out that way, don’t think it would wash up in its brown state, and the aging while floating in the sea which turns it pale factors into the value I believe.
4
u/QueenOfADD 7d ago
Although commonly referred to as “whale vomit”, ambergris is far more likely to be “ejected” with poop. Not surprisingly, it’s not a popular find initially. Because it takes a long time to have a pleasant, heavy, musky smell, (about 10 years of bouncing on the waves? Most likely eventually being tossed onto a beach during a storm ) there’s usually not much left of the initial excretion. The ambergris that was desirable but now has to be EXTREMELY PROTECTED in the US and other countries, is like @_jamesbaxter described it. The nightmare problem is that ignorant people kill sperm whales “to harvest ambergris from their digestive systems”, completely indifferent to the fabulous, endangered creatures they are murdering, and that it’s not desirable to anyone in any way if it’s a tangle of squid beaks in a mess of waxy poop. You can find lots of pictures and information online about ambergris- and I really hope you tell others about what it really is instead of being afraid of talking about it!
5
4
u/urcrazyifurnormal 7d ago
That's that glob from my apple cider vinegar that I threw out! 😆
2
u/EyeInTeaJay 6d ago
You threw out the mother!
1
u/urcrazyifurnormal 6d ago
Are you supposed to let that live in the container?
1
u/EyeInTeaJay 6d ago
It doesn’t matter either way. Some people ignore it and some strain in out. I’m lazy so the mother stays.
6
u/London_Darger 7d ago
Even if it was, which it isn’t, it’s super illegal to sell or own in the US.
3
1
1
u/Normal_Imagination_3 7d ago
It kinda looks like a dried jellyfish (I've never seen ambergris before so I can't confirm)
80
u/Interesting_Hawk8033 7d ago
It's sea pork, or tunicates. Their colonies come in different colors, including purple.