By: hopekingy
12/03/2008
2:41 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| There have been some reports in the media lately about people finding ambergris or whale vomit on Aussie beaches. Have you ever found some? What did you end up doing with it? Did you sell it? If so, how much for? It seems $$$$ values for this substance may be grossly inflated in the media. What are your experiences??? |
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By: szuregotjeanz
12/03/2008
3:00 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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Ok, so, whale vomit is worth $$$$$???
So, what is Ambergris? |
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By: szuregotjeanz
12/03/2008
3:02 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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Never mind, I googled it......ambergrease is found in whale's intestines.
Oh. OK. |
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By: srvjau
12/03/2008
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| This stuff is worth a mint.. Basically it is whale vomit, but it is a main ingredient in perfume, makeup, etc. It was one of the reasons whales were so ferociously hunted. May explain why the japanese want to kee doing it. |
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By: szuregotjeanz
12/03/2008
3:08 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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HHHmmmmmmmm....so, let's see......first thing I do after my morning shower is smear whale vomit all over my face.
Interesting.
Life is grand- always learning something, aye? |
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By: srvjau
12/03/2008
3:46 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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HHHmmmmmmmm....so, let's see......first thing I do after my morning shower is smear whale vomit all over my face
lol jeans. |
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By: srvjau
12/03/2008
5:04 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| So has this put you off perfume & makeup, JeanZ? |
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By: szuregotjeanz
12/03/2008
5:07 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Uh, no way ! |
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By: srvjau
12/03/2008
5:09 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| shweet. |
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By: hopekingy
12/03/2008
5:54 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| OK, so lets eliminate about 75% of the messages likely to be posted right now...ambergris is a wax like substance excreted (no one knows how, by mouth or by rectum) by sperm whales. Its washed up on beaches, can look like rotting wood or a rock at first, but is lightweight, it actually floats. It can be grey or white, or brown or black in colour. The smell is musky, woody, earthy, used in perfumes to fix the scent. Rumours circulate regarding its value, its supposedly expensive and if you find a piece you can reportedly retire. However, I am led to believe the price you are likely to recieve for ambergris is more like $5 per gram, not $50. Any evidence to support that it has been sold for more than this? |
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By: aussiefree2ride
12/03/2008
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I`ve heard this theory on the "harvesting" ambergris being the real reason behind the Japanese whale "research". Has anyone more info on this subject?
Does anyone know what the expected quantity & value of ambergris from the Japanese whale catch would be?
Is this a viable theory? |
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By: verdibee
12/03/2008
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| Come on guys, they gave up using ambergris in perfumes & cosmetics years ago. Why? Because there were not enough whales left to produce the amounts needed for world-wide use. A synthetic product is now used and it works better than the ambergris. So ladies, you can keep using your cosmetics and perfume and not have heeby-geebies becuase your wearing whale vomit. |
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By: hopekingy
12/03/2008
8:10 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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Not quite correct, as ambergris is still used in perfumes, and is still in demand by fragrance makers as no exact synthetic copy has been made.
Ambergris harvested from whales is worthless, as the ambergris used in the perfume industry has been floating around on the ocean for 20+ years. Only aged and mature ambergris can be used. The fresh stuff a la straight from the whale is basically just like fresh poo....stinky, soft and not fragrant! The japanese would not be harvesting ambergris, as its only of vaule when its old and brittle, like clay. |
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By: srvjau
12/03/2008
8:15 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Thankyou for the insight, hope |
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By: gonz_oh
12/03/2008
8:58 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| don't worry about whale vomit in your cosmetics. they are mostly made from stuff from the petrochemical industry and leftovers from abattoir |
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By: westieinatutu
12/03/2008
10:40 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| Not trying to be a smartass but doesn't it come out of the whale's bum? It's a mixture of all the indigestible things the whale has eaten over it's lifetime like cuttlefish bones and stuff. Fascinating really isn't it? |
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By: spider7legs
15/03/2008
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I found a large lump of ambergris on the beach when I was about 8 years old. I had no idea what it was at the time. A luminous pale green waxy substance, that smelt absolutely divine. It was a really beautiful scent, sweet, subtle, rich, endlessly fascinating and complex.
It was only years afterwards that I realised what it was - and how much it was worth!
Of course, my piece had long since gone.
Oh, and by the way, for some strange reason its illegal to sell ambergris here in Oz. |
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By: wulfsbaen
9/06/2008
4:15 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| Actually Ambergris is not illegal to sell in Australia now as it is now seens as a by product of a whale that does not harm it. ( as its either its poo or puke ) Ambergris now on the market is weighed in at $40 a gram if it is aged. Meaning till it ain't stinky, and if you like to place it on ebay it will be either still be picked up by international manufactures or scientific reseach. Still valuable still as most expensive perfumes like Channel 5 or if your the Arabic royal family to use it. |
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By: wulfsbaen
9/06/2008
4:30 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| Okay I just checked that. The sample of Ambergris I have would be about $147.45 Australian dollars per gram, but that is guessing that its about maybe 10 years old. So yeah its still worth a bit |
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By: szuregotjeanz
9/06/2008
5:17 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| Are you spider7legs, Wulfsbaen.? |
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By: wulfsbaen
9/06/2008
11:04 am Yahoo! Profile:
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| Sorry but nope. Not Spider7legs. |
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By: luroxy_j
9/06/2008
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| I found something very much like the ambergris and I believed that it is the ambergris that I found. I wish I found someone to buy it from me. Anyone wants to buy it? |
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By: cactus_dune
26/06/2008
12:29 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| I have found some but can't find a buyer. Can you help? Thank you. |
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By: cactus_dune
26/06/2008
12:48 pm Yahoo! Profile:
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| I have found some but can't find a buyer. Can you help? Thank you. |
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By: leeethal2
26/06/2008
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COAST AWASH WITH AMBERGRIS
COAST AWASH WITH AMBERGRIS
April 19, 2006
Section: News
AN INFLUX of smelly, gunky black lumps had South Coast locals enthralled this past week, with reports of ambergris washing up on beaches at Kiama Surf Beach and Seven Mile Beach.
While not aesthetically appealing, ambergris is a valuable substance used to produce perfumes.
Its origins though, are somewhat less glamorous.
Its basically a phlegm-like substance coughed up by sick sperm whales at sea.
Recent high seas appear to have brought the ambergris to shore, where its proved a fascinating find for some beachgoers.
73-year-old Allen Coleman stumbled across a football-sized lump of ambergris while walking his dog last week.
I saw this thing laying on the beach, recalled Allen.
I had a look at it, smelled it it was the size of between a large coconut and a rugby league football.
It smelled pretty bad the dog wasnt interested in it at all, but Id heard about this ambergris stuff and thought it might be that.
Im going to get my mate to come up and take a photo of it and put it on the internet see if its worth anything.
I carried the thing a kilometre back to my home, so I hope its worth something, he laughed
Ambergris can be worth around $40 per gram.
Currently on internet marketplace E-bay, there are two Australian finds of ambergris for sale.
A 300 gram piece found in Esperance, Western Australia and a 148 gram piece washed up in Gympie are both up for sale for $2500.
A 20-metre trail of whats believed to be ambergris was found on Kiama Surf beach.
Photos of the deposit, taken by the Independent, were sent on to University of Wollongongs School of Biological Sciences.
Associate Professor Ron West said it was possible the dumping at Kiama Surf Beach was ambergris.
Ambergris is?regurgitated by sperm whales can be washed up on beaches, said Assoc Prof West.
If washed up when fresh, it smells very bad and is of little value.
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