IDENTIFYING AMBERGRIS

In order to identify ambergris correctly, lets look at the following list of characteristics of ambergris:

The Color – Ambergris can be found in white, yellow, gray, brown, blackish brown and black tones. Most of the time it will be coated in a white film or crust, and this crust can have an aged or antique appearance like old split paint.

The Feel – Ambergris will have a waxy feel and it will be tacky to the touch. When very old, it will have a powdery, chalk like texture to the exterior.

The Density – Ambergris is lighter in weight than rock, similar in weight to wood, but in most cases is rock-hard just like a stone, it is able to chip and crumble. When very fresh and black, it will have a taffy like texture and will be somewhat pliable. Ambergris is solid and dense, it will not have air bubbles or open intrusions in it, other than in cracks and areas where it has broken.

The Shape – Ambergris will normally have smooth round edges and will most commonly be boulder round or long and tubular or oval in its shape. It will seldom have jagged or irregular edges unless it has been broken or is a broken off portion of a larger piece.

The Interior – Ambergris interiors will most commonly have a deep rich and dense brown color, but can also be shades of white, cream, gray, and lighter to darker browns. The interior color is dense and solid and has zero translucency or opaqueness, many times there are differing colored layers or circular orbs inside the interior material.

The Smell – Ambergris will have a strong musky, sweet scent that is similar to stable manure, a tobacco cigar, wet soil and fresh salty seaweed all mixed together. The scent is lasting and will remain on your hands long after handling it. It is a strong, musky and earthy smell and is not repulsive or foul.

Squid Beaks – Ambergris will very frequently show the protruding shapes of black, thin, plastic-looking parrot beaks, these are squid beaks and are a clear and sure indication that the item is ambergris.

Melt Test – When heated with a flame or touched with a hot needle ambergris will instantly melt into a black or golden colored, very sticky residue that will not harden after cooling. It will also let of a puff of white smoke that will be very sweet, musky and reminiscent of church incense.

Ambergris is Sticky – When melted, ambergris should be incredibly sticky and never oily or greasy. It should remain sticky for days after melting and will not dry hard. It should be able to stick readily to your finger and hold the full weight of a piece of paper lifted in the air. The paper should not fall off, you should have to pry it off of your finger with some effort and in most cases it should tear some of the paper off onto your finger in that process.

When you find ambergris:

– Do not break it open

– Do not put it in water

– Do not melt large holes in it or destroy the piece by melting large potions of it

– Do not spray it with perfume or other scents to try and make it smell better

– Do not put it in a plastic bag

– Do not put it in the refrigerator or freezer

– Do not put soft ambergris together with other qualities of ambergris

– Treat it with care and keep it as intact as you can

– Clean off any sand and seaweed or other debris before storage

– Keep it dry, cool and breathing

– Wrap it in a cotton cloth or towel and store it in a safe place until it’s sold

– Weigh it yourself in order to better understand it’s value and to better inform the buyer

Water weight loss:

When Ambergris first washes upon the shore, it retains about 35% of its total weight at that point as water. This excess water will slowly dry out over the following 8 to 12 months and while this occurs, ambergris must be kept dry and open to the air to exhale this moisture. This is a common aspect of selling ambergris that all finders will encounter, the buyer will inform you of the level of dryness the ambergris has achieved and approximate the amount of moisture left to dry out. Since no one can buy water at such prices, there will always be a weight loss concession worked into the final purchase price on almost all pieces of ambergris found and sold; the exception would be those few ancient dry and cured pieces found buried in arid climates

If you find something that matches these characteristics and looks similar to the images shown, you may have found a piece of ambergris and you should contact us immediately with pictures of your find so that we can confirm its authenticity!

ambergrisbahamas@gmail.com / Whatsapp +1-242-357-1002

Where to look in the Bahamas:

After being excreted by a Sperm whale, ambergris will float in the gyre currents of the North Atlantic Ocean for many years before finally being washed ashore. Ambergris can be found on any ocean facing beach in the Bahamas but is most commonly found on the Atlantic Ocean facing beaches of Abaco, Cat Island, Crooked and Acklins Islands, Eleuthera, Exuma and Long island.

Searching after heavy winter storms with winds from the north east during the months of November through April is prime time.

For your best chance of finding a piece of ambergris you will want to look in beach coves and catchments, look for places with lots of seaweed and plastic garbage. Fresh wash-ups can be low on the beach in fresh seaweed lines, older wash-ups will be higher in the seaweed lines where the beach meets the sand dune, rocks, or sea oats.

If you are seeing large pieces of plastic, buoys, and large pieces of driftwood you are looking in the right place. You need to go slowly, sift the seaweed piles around, look closely, smell items of interest. Any item that appears to be waxy and sticky with a white coating and has a strong sweet, musky and earthy scent, could be your first piece of ambergris!

Be sure to take a clear picture and send it to us to confirm your find!

Happy hunting and good luck!