Ambergris worth 500,000 euros found in sperm whale (4 photos)

When a dead man washed up on the beach of the Canary island of Palma sperm whale, no one could have guessed what was hidden in its insides real treasure. Despite the unfavorable weather conditions, Antonio Fernandez Rodriguez, head of the Institute of Animal Health and food security at the University of Las Palmas, was full determined to uncover the cause of the whale's death.

The pathologist found ambergris weighing 9.5 kg





Ambergris is produced by 1 in 100 sperm whales.



Suspecting a sperm whale with digestive problems, Antonio Fernandez Rodriguez felt something solid in the animal's intestines. "I pulled out a stone with a diameter of about 50-60 cm and weighing 9.5 kg," he said.

Fernandez, who has over 1,000 autopsies to his credit, says ambergris sepsis killed whale





Ambergris is a rare substance that has been used for centuries the holy grail of perfumers. The origin of "floating gold" was discovered only after the start of large-scale whaling in early 19th century. Whales eat squid and cuttlefish, most which is not digested and over the years binds in the intestine, forming ambergris.

Sometimes it is excreted from the body, so ambergris is most often found floating in the sea. And sometimes, as in the case of the sperm whale on the Palm, it ruptures the intestines and kills the animal.

Ambergris has a woody scent, like sandalwood, and also contains alcohol ambrein, which fixes and prolongs life aromas, which makes it popular among perfumers.



Funds raised from the sale of the find will go to the victims from a volcanic eruption on the island of Palma in 2021. Catastrophe damage estimated at 800 million euros.