Whale vomit3/30/2023 ![]() ![]() All of these waxy substances will be smoothed by exposure to the sea for longer periods of time and bleach. Some of these compounds find their way into the sea through pollution: by falling overboard becoming dislodged from sewer pipes or discarded elsewhere. As far as abundance is concerned, there is much more wax or vegetable oil about compared to ambergris. ![]() Let’s consider other substances washed up on the beach that also react positively to this test: candle or paraffin wax, residues from palm oil distillation, rubber, or solidified sewer grease. Touching the waxy lump with a hot needle should melt it, release white smoke and give off an interesting smell. A “hot needle test” is recommended to confirm that it is ambergris – a test and this is where the challenge starts. Suspect ambergris finders quickly get excited about their discovery. Ambergris was also thought to be an aphrodisiac and a study found found that it acted as a sexual stimulant in rats. But these days perfumiers mostly use synthetic versions. ![]() The longer it floats in the sea, the waxier it gets.Īs Sperm Whale numbers decline, so ambergris becomes rarer.: Image:Amila Tennakoon CC licence via that not every sperm whale poo includes lumps and that the numbers of sperm whales are much lower these days, it’s clear why this ambergris is so rare.Īmbergris has been used in some expensive perfumes as it allows scent to last longer, in part because the ambrein molecule on exposure to a certain type of activated oxygen, creates fragrance compounds that are lighter and are more volatile or smelly, and they may take other volatile molecules present in ambergris with them. ![]() This ageing process is suspected to have two chemical effects: the reduction in the scent of faeces, which is more water-soluble and gradualy lost, and the incorporation of the scents of the sea, which is fat-loving and absorbed by the waxy ambergris in the making (much like butter in your fridge takes on the smell of other things). Visually this means ambergris starts more as a black lump and slowly bleaches. Once expelled – usually as faecal matter but also through vomiting, hence the name – ambergris floats in the ocean, turning from a “lump of poo” that smells of faeces into floating gold that has incorporated the varied smells of the sea. They do this by coating them with ambrein.Īmbergris starts as a mixture of squid beaks, ambrein and another digestive product called epicoprostanol. Squid is the main diet of sperm whales but as the beaks can’t be digested, they need to be passed out without causing injury. Ambrein is made by sperm whales only to glue together squid beaks. Different organisms biosynthesise different compounds, such as caffeine made by cocoa, coffee or tea plants. It is a product of the sperm whale, as only sperm whales make the compound responsible for ambergris’ allure: ambrein. The reason for the high prize lies in the origin of ambergris. So what exactly is ambergris and why does it still cost more than gold or truffles? According to reports, this latest could be worth £50,000 (US$71,000) for a 1.57kg lump. Described as floating gold, it’s a highly-prized natural treasure used by past kings and still sought after by artisan perfumers. Dogs with their keen sense of smell often find these objects first.Ī suspect lump, but not ambergris.: Vera ThossIf you find one of these, you might hope for ambergris – sometimes referred to as “whale vomit” – as one couple recently reported finding in Morecambe Bay in Lancashire, UK. And a smell that has been described as “a cross between squid and farmyard manure”. They may appear hard or waxy, and sometimes have objects trapped within. They can be covered with a soft white layer that looks a bit like cotton wool. When walking along the beach, some objects might seem unusual because they are neither pebble nor shell nor seaweed.
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