Fortune smiled upon a group of fishermen in Yemen who found a floating treasure worth US$1.5 million inside the carcass of a sperm whale.

A group of fishermen in Yemen came across a sperm whale carcass floating in the Gulf of Aden. 

“As soon as we got close to it there was this strong smell and we had the feeling that this whale had something,” one of the fishermen told the BBC.

The unnamed Yemeni man added: “We decided to hook the whale in, take it to shore and cut into it to see what was inside its belly, and yes, it was ambergris. The smell wasn’t very nice – but lots of money.”

When the fishermen dissected it, they were surprised to find 127 kg lump of waxy, black ambergris.  The group was more than happy as they found US$1.5 million worth of ambergris: a lump of solid whale “vomit” which is used in the making of perfume, according to the Independent.

The rare treasure they discovered in its belly has lifted them out of poverty. 

The UN has estimated that 80 per cent of the Yemen’s population are vulnerable to hunger following years of civil conflict.

Ambergris – known as “vomit gold” or “floating gold” – is formed inside sperm whales’ intestines over many years to produce a waxy substance of a grey or black color. It is used in perfumes to preserve the scent.