A lucky Thai mother is selling a 30kg haul of whale vomit she found during a beach holiday - and it could be worth up to a million pounds.

Anyamanee Sareerayor, 30, was walking on the sand with her husband and children when she noticed the strange object in Pattani province, Thailand in January.

She took a closer look at the 'large pale yellow rock' and called her husband to check it out as she had a hunch that it could be an expensive whale vomit.

The couple sent samples to experts at the Songkhla University to identify the object and could not believe their luck when the results confirmed the large chunk was authentic. The ambergris - a valuable ingredient in perfume manufacturing- could be worth close to a million pounds, based on previous prices.

Anyamanee said: 'I was very happy that the rock turned out to be real ambergris. Now that I have a certificate, I would like to offer it to anyone interested in buying.'

Once the expensive lumps are sold she said that she would use the money to help the local temple and residents who are in need or unwell.

She said: 'I would donate some of the money to the local temple and people in need. I will also give some to my relatives.'

However, she added that she would only sell the ambergris if the price is right as she already had it checked.

She said: 'I will sell only if the price is right. I already know how much it costs. They can contact me anytime.'

Ambergris is produced by sperm whales when bile ducts in the gastrointestinal tract make secretions to ease the passage of large or sharp objects. The whale then vomits the mucilage which solidifies and floats on the surface of the ocean.

The solid chunk has a foul smell at first but after the mucilage dries out, it develops a sweet and long-lasting fragrance, which makes it a sought-after ingredient in the perfume industry as it gives off a 'musky, sweet, or earthy scent'.

Provinces along the southeast Thai coast - where currents from the South China Sea and Java Sea merge into the Gulf of Thailand - have been the scene of dozens of finds, helped by growing awareness of what the waxy substance is.

In September last year, Thai fisherman Narong Phetcharaj found a 30kg piece of ambergris which was authenticated. He received an offer from a Chinese businessman of GBP 23,740 per kg.

In 2018, Boonyos Tala-upara, 44, found a piece weighing 10kg on the island of Koh Samui, which was valued at GBP 318,500 (USD 500,000).

Elsewhere in the world, in April 2016, a 1.57-kilogram ambergris ball found in Lancashire, England, sold for GBP 50,000 (USD 67,182) while in November of the same year, three Omani fishermen found 80KG of ambergris and sold it for GBP 2,233,000 (USD 3,000,000).

Ambergris valuations depend on the quality of the product. But based on previous valuations, Isdarit's haul could fetch up to GBP 31,850 per kg, giving him a total sale price of up to GBP 955,5000