Apparently, the market demand for whale vomit is through the roof.
8-year-old Charlie Naysmith thought that the yellowish-brown rock he found while walking on the beach in southern England was just an interesting souvenir. However, this souvenir happened to be a hunk of solidified whale vomit called "ambergris"—a rare ingredient in perfume creation, and one that could be worth between $15,000 and $63,000 (not quite a golden ticket, but still pretty damn good).
Apparently, competing in the market for ambergris is not for the faint of heart, as, in some countries, not only is the trade illegal, but certain gangs use unsavory methods to acquire the product. New Zealand, for example, has a gang that hunts for ambergris quite aggressively.
The kid better watch out, because there is no going back from the mean streets—rather, beaches—of ambergris gangs.
