Beachgoer Finds Rare Whale Treasure Worth Thousands in WA

Ryan Clarke was walking along Ocean Beach in Denmark, Western Australia, when he spotted what looked like an ordinary rock sitting in the sand. But the moment he touched it, he knew he'd found something extraordinary.

The rockmelon-sized chunk turned out to be ambergris, an incredibly rare substance produced in the intestines of sperm whales. Only two other pieces have ever been recorded in Western Australia's history, making Clarke's discovery a once-in-a-lifetime find.

Ambergris forms when sperm whales eat squid whose hard beaks can't be digested. The whale's body produces a waxy coating to protect its intestines as the beaks pass through. Eventually, the whale expels this material, which floats on the ocean surface for decades or even centuries, slowly curing into a prized ingredient.

Clarke said the chunk felt completely different from rock despite its hard surface. "It was waxy and very subtle and light to touch, like it weighed what you think a feather would," he explained. He and his wife ran tests at home to confirm their suspicions.

They dropped it in a bucket of water and watched it float. Then they touched its surface with a hot needle, which melted the material and released a sweet, musky, oceanic smell. "Holy hell, it was ambergris," Clarke said.

For centuries, whalers harvested ambergris from about 5 percent of their catch to sell to perfume makers. The substance acts as a fixative that helps fragrances last longer on skin. Some pieces that floated for hundreds of years developed scents so refined they became ingredients in the world's most expensive perfumes.

Today, synthetic versions have replaced natural ambergris in almost all modern perfumes. But the real material remains valuable to collectors and museums.

Why This Inspires

Clarke and his wife made a choice that speaks volumes about community spirit. Despite knowing the ambergris could be worth significant money, they decided "really quickly" to share it with their local museum instead of keeping it locked away.

"It's such a special find that we didn't want to keep it in a drawer somewhere," Clarke said. "The community needs to see it. It really is a treasure."

Marine biologist Pia Markovic confirmed the find's exceptional rarity. Catherine Salmaggi, who has managed the Museum of the Great Southern for 18 years, said she'd never seen anything like it. "This couldn't get any better, really," she said.

The Western Australian Museum and Museum of the Great Southern are now working together to determine where this piece of natural history will make its permanent home, ensuring that future generations can marvel at the ocean's unlikely gift.