Scientists discovered a valuable treasure concealed in the entrails of a dead sperm whale that was discovered on Nogales Beach in La Palma, Canary Islands, last month. The aquatic animal may have been a staggering worth $500,000.
Antonio Fernández Rodrguez, director of the University of Las Palmas’ Institute of animal health and food security, was keen to ascertain the cause of the whale’s death despite the challenging conditions for conducting a postmortem due to rough seas and a rising tide.
He revealed that the whale’s suspected digestive ailment brought its demise while performing an autopsy on the enormous species. He detected a hard object stuck inside its colon, which later turned out to be the reason behind the loss of its life.
He informed, ‘What I took out was a stone about 50-60cm in diameter weighing 9.5kg. The waves were washing over the whale. Everyone was watching when I returned to the beach but they didn’t know that what I had in my hands was ambergris.” The lump he held in his hand was worth over $500,000 million, with some reports mentioning $540,000.
According to assessments, fewer than 1% of sperm whales have the ability to secrete ambergris. The substance is often expelled, but occasionally, as in the case of the whale in La Palma, it grows too large and ruptures the intestine, resulting in a fatality.
He concluded following the autopsy that the whale’s sepsis was brought on by the ambergris. Notably, he has conducted autopsies on more than 1,000 whales. The institution is presently seeking a buyer for the ambergris, and the proceeds from its sale would go towards helping individuals who might be impacted by the eruption of the La Palma volcano in 2021.
“The law is different in every country. In our case, I hope the money will go to the island of La Palma, where the whale ran aground and died,” the scientist hoped.
What is ambergris?
The holy grail of perfumers for generations, ambergris is a rare material that is frequently referred to as floating gold. It is commonly called whale vomit and is made up of the old French terms ‘amber’ and ‘gris,’ which roughly translates to ‘grey amber.’ The solid waxy vomit that whales spew is frequently seen floating in the sea by fishermen.
Squid and cuttlefish are typically the main sources of food for whales. The majority of it, meanwhile, cannot be ingested and is vomited out. However, some still remain and over time combine to make ambergris in the whale’s intestines. A portion of it is excreted and over time combines with other substances and therefore it is regularly spotted drifting in the sea.
However, at times like in the instance of the whale in La Palma, it becomes excessively big and ruptures the gut, killing the whale. Approximately one in 100 sperm whales generate ambergris, but it wasn’t until the early 19th century, when commercial whaling started, that its origins came to light.
Since ambergris contains ambrein, an odourless alcohol that can fix and prolong the duration of scents, it is popular among perfumers and possesses a sandalwood-like scent.
The trade in ambergris has been outlawed in the US, Australia, and India along with the poaching and exploitation of whales. Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick, also made a mention of ambergris in one of his many asides.
He devoted an entire chapter to it and characterised it as “soft, waxy, and so highly fragrant and spicy, that it is largely used in perfumery. Who would think, then, that such fine ladies and gentlemen should regale themselves with an essence found in the inglorious bowels of a sick whale! Yet so it is!”
Historial significance of Ambergris
Ambergris has long been a component of both cuisine and beverage. King Charles II of England supposedly enjoyed a meal of eggs and ambergris. A cocktail from The English and Australian Cookery Book from the middle of the 19th century called for the addition of a thread of ambergris to rum, almonds, cloves, cassia, and the peel of oranges.
In 18th-century Europe, it was employed as a flavouring ingredient in hot chocolate and Turkish coffee. The substance is considered an aphrodisiac in some cultures. Ambergris was used as incense by the ancient Egyptians, and it is still utilised today in modern Egypt to flavour cigarettes.
The component was termed “dragon’s spittle fragrance” in ancient Chinese. People believed that carrying a ball of ambergris could shield them from the plague during the Black Death in Europe. This was due to the fragrance masking the air’s odour, which was thought to be the source of the epidemic. Europeans treated headaches, colds, epilepsy, and other conditions with ambergris during the Middle Ages.
