Ronnie Humphries with the alleged whale vomit he found (Image: SWNS)
Ronnie Humphreys, 42, claims to have found a 2kg haul of ambergris on Leven Beach, Fife, but experts have dismissed it as "sewage grease."
Ambergris, often referred to as 'floating gold,' is a substance produced by sperm whales. Despite being nothing more than a secretion from the whales' digestive system, it is highly valued in the perfume industry and can be worth millions.
Undeterred by the experts' opinion, Ronnie remains convinced of the authenticity of his find and hopes to sell it for a substantial sum.
He said, "It's definitely whale vomit. We did everything at home and it passed all the tests. The clumps also had squid beaks in it which is a sign of it being whale-vomit which is a key sign.
"The dog wouldn't leave it alone and a guy at Citizens Advice in the labs agreed that it's whale vomit. It ticks all the boxes so I'm confident. I've got no problem getting it tested too before I put it up for auction."
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Ronnie Humphries with his son Alfie (Image: SWNS)
The remarkable discovery occurred on July 16 when Ronnie and his five-year-old son, Alfie, were walking along the beach. Alfie accidentally stepped on the substance, causing it to squish like wax. Intrigued, Ronnie picked it up, suspecting it could be something valuable. He initially left it behind but felt compelled to return and retrieve it.
Back home, Ronnie conducted various tests, including using a hot needle to observe the melting properties of the waxy substance. He also noted the clump emitted a scent resembling horse manure, which he believes is another characteristic of genuine ambergris.
However, an expert from Ambergris Europe, who examined the photos of Ronnie's find, dismissed it as "sewage grease."
The spokesperson said: "It is degraded oil from wastewater - sewage grease.
"This material is a very common human pollution on the beaches of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic."
The alleged whale vomit Ronnie Humphries found (Image: SWNS)
Despite the expert's opinion, Ronnie remains steadfast in his belief that he possesses real ambergris and intends to sell it.
He said: "I'm going to put it up for auction eventually. It would be a life-changing amount go money for us. Fishermen call it floating gold.
"We don't want to move areas or anything but the money would make sure all my kids are secure. It would change our lives."
High-quality ambergris can fetch up to ￡20 per gram, potentially valuing Ronnie's 2kg discovery at ￡40k. The largest-ever find was made by a group of fishermen in Yemen in 2021, who discovered ￡1.1m ($1.5m) worth of ambergris in a floating carcass.
This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, which speed up Express.co.uk’s editorial research. A news editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to readercomplaints@reachplc.com.
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