Dead whale’s belly contains million-dollar treasure for Yemeni fishermen

A group of Yemeni fisherman hit the jackpot when they stumbled across a dead sperm whale floating at the ocean’s surface.

They sliced open the carcass and found 127kg of ambergris. The substance, formed in a whale’s digestive system, is hugely valuable as it is used in perfume production.

The lucky fishermen sold the lump to an Emirati businessman for over $1.5 million, a life-changing sum for people in war-torn Yemen.

“Many people have benefitted from it,” one fisherman told Agence France-Presse, adding that some have bought boats or houses.