A dead sperm whale washed ashore on the Canary Island of La Palma had a special stomach contents: a stone made from the valuable substance ambergris worth €500,000.
Antonio Fernández Rodríguez, head of the Institute of Animal Health at the University of Las Palmas, could hardly have guessed that the stomach contents of a dead sperm whale that washed up on the coast of the Canary Island of La Palma would be a real find of gold. The surprise was even greater when, during an autopsy, the 50-60 cm wide and 9.5 kg stone in the animal’s intestine turned out to be “floating gold”. “Everyone saw me coming back to the beach with the contents, but I had no idea I was holding ambergris,” the scientist told the British Guardian.
Stones of this type form in the stomach of whales over the years, they consist of indigestible remains of squid. In fact, the mass is usually vomited or excreted by the animals. If the lumps get too big, they can lead to injuries in the intestinal region and blood poisoning. Blood poisoning was also the cause of death for the whale discovered off La Palma. Also known as “floating gold”, ambergris is considered one of nature’s most precious scents and has been a sought after material by perfumers for many years. It costs tens of thousands of euros a kilo. The discovery in La Palma is worth around 500,000 euros.
Perfumers’ Gold
With the advent of whaling in the early 1800s, the source of the material, previously found accidentally floating in the sea, was discovered. Ambergris has a woody odor similar to sandalwood. In the gut or just after excretion, however, the bits still smell bad, it is said. Only when the substance floats on the surface of the sea and comes into contact with oxygen, sunlight and salt water does it acquire its solid consistency and develop the coveted smell. The main ingredient is ambrein triterpene alcohol, which is very popular with perfume manufacturers because of its ability to preserve odors. An entire chapter is also devoted to offbeat material from Herman Melville’s literary classic “Moby Dick.” The trade in ambergris was once banned in many countries, along with whaling.
The research team now hopes to sell the “floating gold” they discovered. The proceeds are supposed to benefit victims of the 2021 La Palma volcanic eruption. The eruption destroyed much of the island. Hundreds of buildings sank into ash and lava. Losses amount to more than 800 million euros (chrima/me)
>>> To the article on the “Guardian”