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| 'Whale dung stone' found on Ilfracombe beach | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A man has found what he believes to be a valuable whale dung stone while walking on a beach. | |
| Jack Tipper, 39, made the discovery of the waxy, yellow substance in Ilfracombe, Devon. | Jack Tipper, 39, made the discovery of the waxy, yellow substance in Ilfracombe, Devon. |
| Used in the manufacture of perfume, ambergris is found in the digestive system of sperm whales and is commonly called "floating gold" due to its rarity. | Used in the manufacture of perfume, ambergris is found in the digestive system of sperm whales and is commonly called "floating gold" due to its rarity. |
| Experts say it has yet to be found in the south-west of England. | |
| More on this story and others in Devon and Cornwall | More on this story and others in Devon and Cornwall |
| Mr Tipper believes the lump of ambergris had been washed up on the beach during a recent storm. | Mr Tipper believes the lump of ambergris had been washed up on the beach during a recent storm. |
| He is keeping it in a safe while he considers his next steps. | He is keeping it in a safe while he considers his next steps. |
| Mr Tipper said he has been told it could be worth more than £200,000 - depending on how long it had been in the sea. | Mr Tipper said he has been told it could be worth more than £200,000 - depending on how long it had been in the sea. |
| "I've spoken to a university about it and an online expert who specialises in selling ambergris and I've been told it looks like it's genuine," he said. | "I've spoken to a university about it and an online expert who specialises in selling ambergris and I've been told it looks like it's genuine," he said. |
| "Maybe it's providence. I'm a musician and I put on lots of free community events and I've never been able to afford a house, so this would help." | "Maybe it's providence. I'm a musician and I put on lots of free community events and I've never been able to afford a house, so this would help." |
| However, a local academic who has studied ambergris for almost five years has said that he "remains sceptical, as it's very rare." | |
| Professor Steve Rowland, from Plymouth University, said that there have been "no verified samples from the South West". | |
| "We've had a lot recently which were not ambergris, but palm oil, paraffin wax, or fat of various types." | |
| A 1.1kg (2.4lb) lump of ambergris found by a dog walker on an Anglesey beach sold at auction for £11,000 in 2015. | |
| The substance takes years to form and is thought to protect the whales from the hard and sharp objects they swallow. | The substance takes years to form and is thought to protect the whales from the hard and sharp objects they swallow. |