Valuable ‘floating gold’ worth half a million found in dead Whale
A fascinating discovery unfolded when the lifeless body of a sperm whale washed ashore on La Palma, one of the Canary Islands. Little did anyone anticipate that a valuable treasure was concealed within the whale’s digestive system.
Thoroughly examining the deceased whale proved to be quite a challenge due to harsh ocean conditions and an advancing tide. However, Antonio Fernández Rodríguez, the head of the Institute of Animal Health and Food Security at the University of Las Palmas, was steadfast in his determination to unravel the mystery surrounding the whale’s death.
Suspecting a digestive issue, he meticulously examined the whale’s colon and made an intriguing observation—a solid object was attached to a section of the intestine.
“What I retrieved was a stone around 50-60cm in diameter, weighing 9.5kg,” he explained. “Unbeknownst to the onlookers amidst the crashing waves, what I held in my hands was ambergris.”
The solid mass Fernández held in his palm was estimated to be worth approximately half a million dollars (€500,000). It turned out to be ambergris, also known as ‘floating gold,’ a highly sought-after substance by perfumers, as reported by The Guardian.
The mystery surrounding the origin of ambergris, which forms in about one out of every 100 sperm whales, remained unresolved until large-scale whaling emerged in the early 19th century.
Sperm whales consume substantial amounts of squid and cuttlefish, most of which cannot be fully digested and are subsequently expelled. However, a portion lingers and gradually combines within the whale’s intestinal tract, eventually solidifying into ambergris.
Ambergris is occasionally expelled from the whale’s body and often found floating in the sea. In certain cases, like the one with the whale in La Palma, the ambergris grows to such a size that it causes the whale’s intestine to rupture, resulting in the whale’s demise.