The sea is full of mysterious things, many still not seen by man. There are occasions where something from the ocean is deposited on the shore very far from where it originated. Some people would hope this would be treasure, usually of the gold variety. But occasionally, the ocean produces treasure that's just as disgusting as it is valuable.
Tim, a 10-year old boy, was spending fall break at Mieni Atoll. It was the most affordable time to go there since there wasn't much of a tourist season at this time. Even winter was a little busier because of some people wanting to get away from the cold, including the cold-blooded Animalians. But Tim was still excited to meet real Animalians in person. Though his mom did worry that the Animalians might set off Tim's allergies. But Tim was insistent that he was only allergic to cats and dogs and only the really hairy ones. He didn't have sneezing fits with Venus because she was bald, only sniffles.
Considering there are no big predators on the main island, or any of the smaller islands for that matter, and the lifeguards did a good job of keeping dangerous sea predators away from swimmers, the beaches were completely safe for kids to wander about without adult supervision. Tim was taking a long walk on the beach, hoping to find something cool like a conch shell or a big piece of driftwood. He wanted some kind of souvenir to take back with him.
Eventually, Tim found something that was the weirdest thing he ever saw. It looked like a solid grey blob the size of a coconut. It glistened with seawater as it obviously has been washed up by the ocean. Tim walked over to the blob before taking a step back in disgust. Whatever it was, it stank to high heaven. Naturally, the 10-year old boy ran to get a stick and poke the blob with it. The blob didn't react at all, so it obviously wasn't alive. But he wasn't sure it was dead. It didn't seem to be a dead animal or part of one. It just seemed to be a solid chunk of grey stinkiness.
Eventually, Tim's mom found him on the beach. "Hey, you enjoying the beach?" she asked as she walked up to her son. But as soon as she reached the stink zone, she quickly put a hand over her nose. "Good Lord, what is that?" she asked.
"I don't know," said Tim, "I just found it here."
Tim's dad soon found them and also had to cover their nose. Before long, a small crowd had gathered around them, wanting to see the blob though wanting to get away from the stench. Nobody knew what it was, though there were a lot of people making guesses. Some were saying it was a piece of dead sea monster, others say it was actually the egg of one. Some were thinking it was from another planet while others think it was cooked up by another group of mad scientists. The blob itself didn't seem to be dangerous. It wasn't trying to eat anyone or turn the island to grey goo. It just sat there and stank.
Eventually, someone got the bright idea of taking the thing to the Horizon Labs building to find out what it was. Though getting it there was a bit of a challenge as no one wanted to touch the gross thing. That is, until Tim picked it up. It didn't feel gross or squishy. It felt a bit like solid rubber. But it still stank a lot so Tim held it out at arm's length as he and his parents headed to the lab.
==========
At the lab, they were thankfully able to get the thing into a stinkproof container. And it didn't take long for it to be identified. "What your son has found is a solid chunk of ambergris," said Harold.
"What's ambergris?" asked Tim.
"Ambergris is a substance found in the digestive tract of sperm whales and is expelled in chunks like this," said Harold.
"So I found a piece of whale barf?" asked Tim, more wowed than disgusted.
"Smells more like it came out the other end," said Tim's dad.
"I think I've heard of ambergris," said Tim's mom, "Isn't it used to make perfumes?"
"Who would want to smell like that?" asked Tim's dad.
"It's not the perfume itself," said Harold, "It can be used as a fixative to make the scent last longer. It smells much better when used with other ingredients. It's actually very valuable in the perfumer market."
"How valuable?" asked Tim's mom with interest.
"Well, I'm not an expert on the subject, but judging by its size and purity, I'd estimate this particular chunk may be worth $100,000," said Harold.
The sound of cash registers in their heads was almost audible. "We're rich!" said Tim's dad.
"We'll very well off!" said Tim's mom.
"Hey, I found it," said Tim.
"And you're going to get money too when we sell it back home," said Tim's mom.
"Well, that might not so simple," said Harold.
"Why is that?" asked Tim.
"Because ambergris is a contraband substance under the Endangered Species Act," said Harold, "Possession and trade is prohibited in the United States."
Their collective dreams of riches started to collapse. "You mean we can't do anything with it?" asked Tim's dad.
"Not necessarily," said Harold, "As the US government sold Mieni Atoll to Animalia from island territory from another nation, this technically isn't US soil so you could say the ambergris was found in international waters. Though I would try to find a lawyer and/or diplomat that can back you up on that claim. You will also need to find a buyer from a country other than the US or Australia to make any profit. Most likely someone in the United Kingdom or France."
"That means a change of currency, right?" asked Tim's mom.
"Yes, but I think the price will still stand," said Harold, "Though you'll have to ask someone else to find a buyer for you. I haven't any idea who you should go to."
"We'll manage something," said Tim's mom. Tim was very excited by this. This wasn't what he expected to get as a souvenir, but $100,000 was nothing to sneeze at. He could only imagine what he would be able to buy with it.