A man whose dog uncovered an unusual 'rock', while walking on Morecambe beach in Lancashire, was stunned to find it's potentially worth up to £100,000.
The yellow lump of rock, weighing around 3kg, is believed to be a rare piece of hardened sperm whale vomit, known as ambergris - used as an ingredient in perfume manufacture.
Ken Wilman's Boxer dog Madge made the find, which Mr. Wilman said "smelled horrible".
So far he has been offered £43,000 by a dealer in France, but experts say it could be worth twice that.
Mr. Wilman is planning to send a small sample to France, where it will hopefully be verified as ambergris by a dealer - if it is, he says "it will be like winning the Lottery".
Why not take out a subscription to Practical Fishkeeping magazine? See our latest subscription offer.