Photograph by David Liittschwager, National Geographic;
collection of Mandy Aftel Published August 30, 2012 Sperm whales
eject an intestinal slurry called ambergris into the ocean,
where the substance hardens as it bobs along. Eventually it gets
collected along shores—most often as sheer happenstance, as in
the case of eight-year-old Charlie Naysmith in the U.K. a few
days ago. Walking along the beach in Dorset with his dad, the
boy found what looked to be a very odd rock. He and his dad used
Google to help identify it as ambergris. Weighing more than a
pound, it is said to be worth up to U.S. $63,000. The value of
ambergris lies in its role in the fragrance industry. High-end
perfumes from houses such as Chanel and Lanvin take advantage of
the ability of ambergris to fix scent to human skin. The smell
of ambergris itself varies from piece to piece, ranging from
earthy to musky to sweet. If a perfume house's "nose"—the person
responsible for choosing scents—likes the aroma, the ambergris
can be worth thousand