Doctors Quarantine Man’s House Because Of A Rock He Found
As he was holding the “rock” that they found at the beach they were walking at, many thoughts came to their mind. Was it a rock? Was it something dangerous? Could it harm him and his wife? He did not know even a single answer to those questions. That was why he immediately called the authorities for help. By doing this, there would be a high possibility that the cops and the rescuers could explain what the “rock” actually was. A few minutes after calling the emergency hotline, the police sealed off the whole house, indicating that they were doing a serious investigation.
Overwhelmed
Steven and Viola were asked to stay outside, stay calm, and wait patiently for the police report. Several minutes after the rescuers came to retrieve the “rock” that they found, a cop went towards another officer to report everything that they had gathered. The couple was listening to the cop’s findings as well. They were nothing but very shocked. It seemed like they were put in a moment of shock.
Overwhelmed
Taking A Walk
One day in the middle of 2016, Steven Whitten and Viola Whitten decided to take a stroll on their favorite beach in their hometown, Lancashire, England. They packed some snacks and extra clothes in case they would choose to take a dip. They immediately drove to Middleton Sands and walked along its beachside. Aside from being one of the nearest beaches from their house, what made Middleton Sands so special and different from other beaches was the fact that the breathtaking view of the beautiful Irish Sea could be seen from its shore. Well, it was a perfect spot for people to unwind and relax.
Taking A Walk
Favorite Spot
The couple had always enjoyed isolation. They did not like staying in a very crowded and populated area. Well, even though the Middleton Sands was a beach always full of people – hikers and people who were walking their dogs mostly comprised the beach; Steven and Viola managed to find themselves a less crowded place for them to spend some quality time on, relax, and take a break from the stressful and tiring reality of the world – ever since, it had been their favorite spot.
Favorite Spot
Something Was Off
The spot was perfect, and so was the view. However, all of the calmness was ruined by a very unpleasant odor that was smelled by Steven. As soon as he noticed it, he asked his wife if she could smell it, too. Both of them were bothered by the smell because not only was it smelly, it was also the very first time that they had encountered such an odor. Well, that was just the beginning of their journey to something that would change their lives and blow them away.
Something Was Off
Curious Couple
Actually, “smelly” was an understatement – the odor smelled terrible that it was compared to a smell of a decaying fish, but it was still a lot worse than that. Despite the very unpleasant odor, they were very curious as to what the substance could be. That was why they decided to find the essence that was giving off the scent by tracking it down through following its smell. They walked along the Middleton Sands just to satisfy their curiosity and look for the smelly thing.
Curious Couple
Strange Rock
They both stopped when they saw a rock resting on the seashore. Based on what they could see a few feet away from the rock, they described its size as much as the same as a regular football’s size, which was 8.66 inches (22cm) in diameter. The couple looked at each other and asked if they should get it or not. Well, curiosity would win at anything. That was why Steven slowly walked toward the rock.
Strange Rock
Curious
Since the couple had always been fond of beaches, Steven had read some books and articles about things people usually do and do not find on beaches. However, as he touched the rock and had a closer look at it, he discovered that it was something that was never mentioned in all the articles and books he read before. What could it be? Was it a particular type of rock? Or was it just regular rock that happened to be huge?
Curious
Distinct Odor
Even though it was a very disgusting thing to do, Steven slowly put his face near the rock and smelled it. It was nothing but worse. He described its odor as a mixture of animal crap used for fertilizing and squid manure. It was his very first time to smell something like that. It seemed like smelling it did not help to satisfy his curiosity at all. It just drove him to think about it more until he knew what it actually was.
Distinct Odor
Jackpot
With all the expenses that they still needed to pay, such as mortgage, electricity bills, and water bills, the couple had always wanted to be extremely rich. Little did both of them know that discovering the rock was the beginning of their road to success. I bet that it is now you who is very curious about the stone. What could it be? Keep on reading to know the answer.
Jackpot
The Next Step
Both Steven and Viola did not know anything about the rock except a couple of facts that it was something very unusual and very smelly. That was why they were torn in choosing whether they should bring it with them, or they should just leave it where they found it. Both of the choices were reasonable enough to be selected. They could take it home because it might be something that would bring them tons of money, yet at the same time, they could just leave it there because they did not have any knowledge about it – what if it was dangerous?
The Next Step
Taking A Chance
The step Steven and Viola had chosen to take was a very risky one. After several minutes of thinking, they came up with a decision, and that was to take the rock home with them. They thought that it was something that could bring them a lot of money. If this was a game of poker, the couple were all in. Even though they were excited to research and know more about the rock that they just saw, they were still aware of the risks they might get because who would have known if that thing was hazardous to them – well, definitely not them.
Taking A Chance
Taking It Home
Viola gave her husband her scarf for him to cover the rock with it. Both of them wanted to put the rock in a safe and secure position. They immediately went to their car and went home. The couple was very excited to know more about the thing that they found lying on the shore of Middleton Sands.
Taking It Home
Getting Help
When they arrived at their house, Viola was the one who carried it inside as Steven searched through his tools and grabbed his weighing scale. The husband placed the rock on top of the weighing scale and learned that the thing weighed for a total of 3.5 pounds, which was 1.6 kilos if you would convert it to such a mass unit. With the information that they got, the couple thought of asking other people for their opinions, maybe one of them knew what the rock actually was.
Getting Help
Ideas Forming
Steven grabbed his phone and took several pictures of the rock from different angles. He posted it in a Facebook group and asked people about their thoughts about the rock that they found on the shore of Middleton Sands. He briefly explained the story of how they found the rock through the post’s caption. A few minutes after the photos were posted, his phone was bombarded with notifications regarding his post in the Facebook group.
Ideas Forming
Could It Be A Meteor?
Hundreds of people reacted and left a comment on his post. The statements contained various speculations as to what the rock could be. Most of them claimed that it was a meteor – yes, the small body of matter that came from outer space while others opposed that idea and claimed that the rock was a volcanic rock that came from one of the volcanoes in the ocean. How about you, what is your guess?
Could It Be A Meteor
The Possibilities Were Endless
The comment that caught Steven’s attention came from a Facebook user who said that he was a meteorologist. He did not make a guess or any speculation, but he gave him the idea to perform a magnet test on the rock. The amateur meteorologist’s comment was one of the few words that made a lot of sense, so he considered trying a magnet test to know what the rock was and what type of substance it was made from.
The Possibilities Were Endless
Unidentified
Steven knew that it was something more than a regular rock because when he touched it, he felt like he was handling a ball made of rubber. He also described its texture close to a candle because it seemed as if it was made of wax. After doing a little research and after getting help from other people from a Facebook group, he still knew nothing about the thing that they found aside from its odor, weight, and texture. He thought that it was time to listen to the meteorologist’s advice.
Unidentified
Panic Levels High
He immediately stood up and looked for a magnet. He positioned the interest close to the rock, and after seeing what happened, Steven and Viola’s panic levels had increased. After performing the magnet test, they did not know what to do anymore. However, it was already there – it was already in their house, so they had no choice but to continue researching and figuring out what the rock actually was.
Panic Levels High
Staying Cautious
The couple, especially Steven, gathered all the courage they had to keep on discovering more things about the rock that they found. After seeing the result of the magnet test, they made sure to do any action carefully. They investigated the rock all by themselves; that was why they made sure to be cautious at all times. Well, let us go back to the magnet test – what was the result? What happened?
Staying Cautious
What Is The Magnet Test?
For your information, magnetic particle testing, or only magnet testing, is an activity done with an object to know what substance it is made of. This test is usually done by people working in the industry affiliated with gold to make sure that the material they receive is original – if the gold does not have an attraction with the magnet, it is authentic, otherwise, if it attracts the magnet, it only means that it is fake.
What Is The Magnet Test@
Phone Call
Before performing the magnet test, Steven and Viola already had a feeling of confirmation that the rock was really a meteor. In their case, if it was a meteor, it should have attracted the magnet. However, they just became more confused and even more nervous when they saw the result of the magnet test. The rock and the magnet did not attract at all, meaning that it was not a meteor. After realizing that they could not think of anything to do with the rock anymore, they called for help.
Phone Call
Things Were Picking Up
He quickly grabbed his phone and called the authorities. Both of them were feeling very nervous and scared at that time because they did not know what the rock actually was – there was even a possibility that it could be something dangerous. A few minutes later, cops wearing protective gear arrived at their house and knocked on their front door.
Things Were Picking Up
Seeking Experts
Even though Steven and Viola already did some research and even asked hundreds of people in a Facebook group for their thoughts and opinions, it was just not enough. That time, reaching out to authorities for help was the best decision for the couple. It was a dire situation, but the couple were strong and comforted each other with the fact that the cops were already there – everything would be alright.
Seeking Experts
Quarantined
The couple was politely asked to stay out of the house. The cops sealed off their home and quickly looked for the rock. Steven and Viola were dying to know what the rock actually was, but they had to wait patiently and never interfere with the investigation. On the brighter side, kudos to the cops for their quick response in the couple’s situation.
Quarantined
Getting To The Bottom Of It
Luckily for the cops, the couple left the rock inside a box resting at the dining table, so they immediately saw it. They had a closer look at it, and with their well-sanitized tools, they investigated the rock. After several minutes of an in-depth investigation, a cop went outside and reported all of his findings.
Getting To The Bottom Of It
At A Loss
They were seeing the cop wearing a protective gear coming outside alarmed the couple. They were very eager to know everything about rocks. They approached the two officers talking about the findings. They carefully listened to the cop as they were both excited and nervous to hear everything. They prepared themselves.
At A Loss
True Identity
The cop told the couple that they did not have to worry about anything because the thing that they found on the shore of Middleton Sands was not dangerous in any way. However, it was something very unusual for people to find randomly, but being discovered at a coast was kind of not surprising. It was eventually revealed that the thing was actually ambergris. Steven and Viola made the same facial expression letting the cops know that they clearly had no idea about what they were talking about.
True Identity
Ambergris
If you are just like Steven and Viola, who does not know what ambergris is, this one’s for you, ambergris is an in-demand substance ever since the time it was discovered. It is mostly used in the perfume industry, which might be surprising because it naturally has a very unpleasant odor. Still, it eventually transforms and changes into a delightful scent as time passes by.
Ambergris
Whale By-Product
It is a substance that only whales could produce. That is why the fact that Steven and Viola on a shore discovered the ambergris was not surprising. It is considered as a whale’s product. Authorities were not kidding when they said that randomly finding ambergris was an infrequent event. Keep on reading to know what makes the availability of ambergris very rare.
Whale By Product
Sperm Whales
There is only one type of whale that could produce such a substance – sperm whales. Scientifically speaking, sperm whale, which is also known as a cachalot, is the largest kind of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. The largest sperm whale to exist in this world weighed 57152.6 kilograms and was 67 feet long. If you are wondering what types of oceans do sperm whales live in – they could be found under any sea here in the world.
Sperm Whales
Endangered
Before whaling was banned in several countries, people used to catch and kill whales to get their fats and other by-products, including the ambergris. These substances were used by people working in the industry to produce things such as machine oils, soap, pencils, and candles. Because of all the uncontrolled whaling, people had done, sperm whales became endangered, which led the government to a decision to ban such activity.
Endangered
Very Rare
Along with the fact that ambergris productivity takes a very long time, another thing that made ambergris a scarce substance is the fact that only 1% of the whole sperm whale population could produce such a substance – most of that 1 % could be found living under the Atlantic Ocean. Well, Steven and Viola must have been very fortunate to find ambergris because the substance is scarce and special.
Very Rare
Contraband
It seemed like Steven and Viola were a fortunate couple. Because they were living in the boundaries of the United Kingdom, what they found was looked upon as merely a particular waste product. If they were in the United States or other countries who banned the act of whaling, they could be arrested or questioned as to how they got the ambergris. In their situation, the ambergris might be seized by authorities and pay the couple a very reasonable price in return.
Contraband
Floating Gold
Steven and Viola eventually discovered that a man was living in the town of Morecambe, who was in the same situation as them before. The cops told them that he accidentally found ambergris weighing 6 pounds (2.72 kilograms) and surrendered it to authorities. In return, the authorities paid him a massive amount of $155K. Well, for everyone who is living in a country where whaling is not illegal, it is now time to start looking for ambergris – just kidding!
Floating Gold
Loads Of Cash
As soon as they heard the amount the man got from his 6-pound ambergris, they were thrilled. Knowing that the ambergris that they found on the shore of Middleton Sands weighed 3.5 pounds (1.6 kilograms), which was almost half of the ambergris the man found in Morecambe, the cops told them to expect at least $65K from the authorities in exchange for the ambergris. With all the dreams that they had, it was undeniable that they were going to surrender the ambergris and go for the cash. In short, they were efficient.
Loads Of Cash
Following Their Dreams
The real question was where the couple would allow the money they would get from authorities. Would they prioritize all of their worldly dreams, such as buying a static van? Would they be practical and prioritize paying all of their bills first? Well, all of the decision-making was on them. No one could control that. As of today, there is still no update about the Whittens. How are they living now? What did they do to the money? We do not know the answers to that yet. What we only know is that with the luck of accidentally finding something scarce and special on their favorite beach, the couple became richer – a thing that both of them had always dreamed of.
Following Their Dreams