“A totally unexpected discovery. A veterinary team from the University of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, Spain, in May autopsied a sperm whale stranded on the beach of Nogales, on the island of La Palma. Led by Professor Antonio Fernández, the team found “a huge stone” in the body of the 13-meter-long animal, reports El Mundo, relayed by Courrier international. This find is estimated at several hundred thousand euros.
The stone measures between 50 and 60 cm in diameter and weighs almost 9 kg. It wasn’t its size or weight that surprised vets, but rather its composition: ambergris. This very rare substance is secreted by the sperm whale. It is popular in the field of perfumery for the amber it contains, “an alcohol that fixes the smell, allowing the perfume to last much longer”.
The value of the ambergris found in the entrails of the sperm whale is estimated at nearly 500,000 euros. The town hall of Puntallana, where the beach of Nogales is located, could claim it, as could the Cabildo de La Palma, the government of the island, or the University of Las Palmas.
