Man Finds 0.5kg Amber Chunk in Ghost Net While Cleaning Polish Beach

While cleaning a beach on the Hel Peninsula, Dariusz Brzeski made an extraordinary discovery: a 0.5-kilogram chunk of amber, found amidst the debris.

Brzeski was engaged in clearing "ghost nets" – discarded fishing nets that pose a deadly hazard to marine animals – from the shore. It was within one of these nets that he found the significant amber specimen. He shared his find on social media and with local media, describing the amber as fitting perfectly on a hand due to its rounded shape and noting visible imprints of bark, potentially allowing for identification of the tree from which the resin originated.

This remarkable find occurred purely by chance during a beach cleanup effort, accompanied by his animals: a goose named Sunny, a duck named Wirek, and a dog named Kundelinio. Brzeski highlighted that while many search for amber using specialized equipment, his discovery came while removing hazardous waste.

Brzeski intends to use the amber and the ghost nets in educational presentations. His goal is to draw public attention to the threats facing the Baltic Sea and, simultaneously, to showcase the natural treasures that can be found in the region. The amber itself is estimated to be worth at least several thousand euros.

“

Skarb Bałtyku! Znaleźliśmy półkilogramowy bursztyn i to dosłownie w śmieciach, w sieciach widmo, sprzątając to śmiertelne zagrożenie dla ptaków, ryb i ssaków. Nasza nagroda warta co najmniej kilkanaście tysięcy.