Doctors Quarantine Man’s House Because Of A Rock He Found
There was a man who discovered a rock, but it was not an ordinary one. He could not stop thinking about the rock. There was a question floating in his mind, “What if the rock had something special in it that made it different from the normal rocks?” He remained bothered even if he already called the authorities for rescue. As the rescue team arrived, he was seeing his house being put under quarantine and confined by the rescuers. Keep on reading to see what exactly happened to the man and to the unusual rock.
Overwhelmed
After a few minutes of investigation, a rescuer went outside the house to tell him the interesting things he found inside the house which gave the lead to the case. Everything seemed to be a puzzle game for the man because everything happening to him, that time, confused him. He just listened to the rescuer, but he could not still understand everything that was happening to him.
Overwhelmed
Taking A Walk
Everything started with a couple who happened to live in the village of Overton. They were Steven Whitten and Viola Whitten. One day during the spring of the year 2016, the lovely couple decided to spend some quality time walking on the sands of their most beloved beach in Lancashire, England – Middleton Sands. The choice of their favorite beach was not questionable because the beach had always shown people the breathtaking view of the Irish Sea. It was a place where people had the chance to relax and kind of escape from the stressful world.
Taking A Walk
Favorite Spot
Middleton Sands was their favorite place, but the couple was not fond of being in a crowded place. Yes, Middleton Sands was full of people, especially dog owners because they could walk their pets there and hikers. That was the only thing the coupe did not like about the place. They had always wanted to spend quality time together alone, but they decided to stay there anyway.
Favorite Spot
Something Was Off
The couple was able to unwind in Middleton Sands as they were being mesmerized by the view. Both of them were feeling calm and relaxed until Steven smelled something. He said that it was very foul-smelling. He was disturbed by the unpleasant scent that reached his nose, he asked his wife if she could smell it, too.
Something Was Off
Curious Couple
Even though the smell was very strong and disgusting, the couple were very curious about where it was coming from – they even described the smell as the odor of a decaying fish. That was why they decided to continue walking to track down the object unleashing the unpleasant odor. After a few minutes of walking, they encountered a small greyish piece of block.
Curious Couple
Strange Rock
As the couple had a closer look at it, they realized that it was a rock. It was different from other rocks because it was really smelly. They also described its size as big as a football. The texture of the rock was smooth. The longer they had a look at it, the couple became more curious about it. They were wondering what kind of rock it was.
Strange Rock
Curious
Being a beach lover, Steven Whitten used to read several books about strange things a person could find on a beach and what to do with them. However, he had never read anything about this rock that they discovered. Despite the foul odor, he reached for the rock and got it to have a much closer look. After managing to observe it by the sense of sight and touch, he just became more intrigued and more eager to find more information about the rock he was holding.
Curious
Distinct Odor
People could really do unexpected things just because of curiosity and that was what happened to Steven. Because of his curiosity, he held the rock closer to his nose and smelled it. Even though the rock had a very unpleasant odor, he claimed that it was a smell that was kind of familiar to his senses. Well, he just became more curious than ever after smelling it.
Distinct Odor
Jackpot
The couple did not know what to do but to stand on the shore. They were wondering what type of rock was the one they discovered. The two discussed what they could do about the rock. What they also did not know was their life was about to change that day.
Jackpot
The Next Step
Steven and Viola were debating whether they should keep the rock or just leave it where they found it. They were considering bringing it home because it was a very unique rock. On the other hand, they were also considering just leaving it on the shore because the unpleasant smell was very strong and disgusting. Let me ask you a question – if you were in their position, would you take it or leave it?
The Next Step
Taking A Chance
There was another reason why they were considering bringing the smelly rock home. They were thinking that if they surrender it to authorities or simply sell it because of its rareness, would they earn thousands of dollars? As they thought of money, the idea of buying things they had always dream of having also come to their minds. For this reason, they already came up with a decision.
Taking A Chance
Taking It Home
Steven and Viola decided to take the rock home. They covered the rock with Viola’s scarf as they quickly went home. Both of them were excited to figure everything out about the unique rock they had found.
Taking It Home
Getting Help
As the couple arrived at their house, Steve quickly placed the rock on top of a weighing scale only to determine that the rock exactly weighed 3.5 lbs. This information made the couple more thrilled, but they realized that they could not figure out all the details about the rock just by themselves, so they called for help.
Getting Help
Ideas Forming
The people they chose to get help from were the ones in an online group on the social media site, Facebook. Steven took a picture of the rock and shared it on the Facebook group. He asked for the people’s opinions about the rock. After a few seconds after clicking the “post” button, tons of people commented and reacted to his post.
Ideas Forming
Could It Be A Meteor?
Different opinions and guesses were expressed in the comment section of the post. There was a theory formulated by some Facebook users and said that the rock used to be a volcanic rock from the ocean. Other users even claimed that it resembled the physicalities of a meteor which led other people to think that it was actually a meteor that fell on the seaside.
Could It Be A Meteor
The Possibilities Were Endless
Lucky for Steven because there was an amateur meteorologist in the group. His comment said that Steven should perform the “magnet test” in order for him to know what the rock really was and confirm the speculations in the comment section. The meteorologist was sure with his guess as to what the rock really was, but Steven did closer observations with the rock. He found out that none of the comments was correct.
The Possibilities Were Endless
Unidentified
As their story of discovering an uncommon rock went viral, the couple was interviewed for a few times. In one of those interviews, Steven said that he touched the rock and he described it as it was like a hard rubber ball. He also described it as having a wax-like structure. With this information, it was surely not a rock, but the whole time, they all thought it was a rock.
Unidentified
Panic Levels High
He also shared that he was extremely bothered after performing the magnet test that the amateur meteorologist suggested. He felt a very strange feeling about the “rock”. The couple started to feel a bit scared already having the “rock” in their house.
Panic Levels High
Staying Cautious
At that moment, Steven was already feeling more scared rather than curious about the rock that they discovered. He realized that they did not really know if having the rock was still a safe decision at all. They knew nothing about it – what if it was toxic? What if it was a very dangerous object?
Staying Cautious
What Is The Magnet Test?
If you are already wondering what a magnet test is, it is a kind of testing performed to identify if an object is an original gold – if it is truly gold, the object would attract the magnet. People could know what type of material an object is by using magnet testing. Steven wanted to know what type of material was the rock they had discovered. That was why he followed the meteorologist and performed a magnet test.
What Is The Magnet Test@
Phone Call
The first thing Steven got to confirm was the speculations about the rock being a meteorite wrong. By performing the magnet test, he learned that the object he was holding did not contain any iron at all. At that moment, he wanted to figure out what material was causing the rock to smell that bad.
Phone Call
Things Were Picking Up
After a few moments, he realized that he could not figure things out all by himself anymore. That was the go signal for himself to call the authorities for rescue. He already decided to call for help because he really knew nothing about the rock – he was not even sure if it was safe to be touched.
Things Were Picking Up
Seeking Experts
Without any knowledge about the rock that they had found along the shore of Middleton Sands, it was very risky for Steven to do a movie with the rock. That was why Steven decided to get experts and authorities involved in their situation. This should be a lesson to everyone – whatever circumstances you would be facing, always call the authorities for help. Never get ahead of yourself because your life might be in danger.
Seeking Experts
Quarantined
As the rescuers arrived, the couple decided to wait patiently outside their house. The authorities immediately went inside to look for the rock while wearing their safety gear in case of any dangerous hazard they might encounter. Meanwhile, the couple was watching the police seal off their whole house.
Quarantined
Getting To The Bottom Of It
The rescuers successfully found the greyish object which they all thought was a rock. They put it inside a sanitized box for them to be able to have a closer look at it. After a few minutes of observations, the rescuers approached the couple, who were patiently waiting outside for updates, to tell them what they got. The couple was in a moment of shock after hearing what the rescuers said.
Getting To The Bottom Of It
At A Loss
Even though he was terrified by everything he heard from the rescuers, Steven decided to be a strong husband for his wife, Viola. He comforted her in every way possible just to calm her down after hearing the rescuers’ report about the “rock” they had discovered.
At A Loss
True Identity
After a few more minutes of observing the lump, the rescuers had come into one conclusion. They informed Steven and Viola again of what they discovered. They learned that the greyish lump which ejected a very unpleasant odor was ambergris. After hearing that, the couple released a sigh of relief knowing that the thing they brought home was not something that could bring danger to people.
True Identity
Ambergris
For your information, ambergris is well-known for having a very unpleasant odor, but it develops over time into a sweet scent. In fact, in the industry, it is used to produce various perfumes. It is a substance that perfumers have always looked for. The experience of the couple finding it on the shore of Middleton Sands is a very rare experience because it is not usual for ambergris to reach a seashore.
Ambergris
Whale By-Product
Looking from the scientific side, ambergris is produced in the bile ducts of whales. It comes out of the animal’s system by excretion or discharge. To be honest, finding ambergris is a very rare happening that was why Steven and Viola felt very fortunate that they were able to find one as they were walking down their favorite beach.
Whale By Product
Sperm Whales
The only kind of whale that has the ability to produce ambergris is a sperm whale. The biggest sperm whale that the world has ever seen weighed over 126,000 pounds and measured 67 feet long. Sperm whales could be found on oceans all over the world.
Sperm Whales
Endangered
Before being targeted by perfumers for their ambergris, people used to capture sperm whales and use their fat in producing pencils, machine oils, soaps, and candles. People in the industry made a lot of money from whales until their population severely decreased during the 1980s. Because of that, the government prohibited whaling – the act of hunting and killing whales.
Endangered
Very Rare
For additional information, not all sperm whales are capable of producing ambergris, only 1% of their population can produce such a substance. Also, most of that 1% capable of producing ambergris swim in the Atlantic Ocean. That is why finding ambergris is a very rare experience.
Very Rare
Contraband
Steven and Viola were very lucky to be living in the United Kingdom because if they happened to discover the ambergris in the United States, they would be facing serious consequences affiliated with the law because in most countries, including the US, owning, selling, or any activity that could be done with ambergris is illegal. In the United Kingdom, they classify such a substance only as a waste, so the couple did not have to worry about going to jail.
Contraband
Floating Gold
The couple wondered if they could receive a reward for surrendering the ambergris they had accidentally found on the shore of Middleton Sands. They asked the rescuers what usually happened during the times when people surrender a very rare thing. They learned that before their discovery, another ambergris was found in a beach located in the boundaries of Morecambe. The rescuers said that the people who found it were given $155K – the authorities bought the substance. After hearing the amount, the two were excited to sell their ambergris to authorities.
Floating Gold
Loads Of Cash
Steven and Viola also learned that the substance discovered on the beach of Morecambe was sold at the amount of $155,000 as it weighed 6 lbs. Knowing that their ambergris only weighed 3.5 lbs, they estimated the price they could sell it – $65,000. Even if it was almost half the price of the 6-pound ambergris, it was still a huge amount of money.
Loads Of Cash
Following Their Dreams
With a large amount of money, Steven and Viola Whitten could not decide on how they would spend it. Would they prioritize spending the $65K to pay all of their debt or would they follow their dreams of buying a static caravan they had always wanted? Whatever choice they would decide on making, we hope that they would wisely spend all of their money and live a better life.
Following Their Dreams