Drafting
BBC News World
In the entrails of a dead sperm whale on a beach on La Palma, an island in the Canary Islands archipelago in Spain, scientists found a fascinating treasure.
It is an intestinal formation of 9 kilos, of what is known as “gris amber”, which, according to the local press, would be valued at US$500,000.
Sadly for the animal, this intestinal stone was the cause of its death.
The cetacean, 13 meters long and weighing about 20 tons, was found on the beach of Nogales, in La Palma, in mid-May.
After a few weeks of forensic studies, researchers from the University Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA) of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria revealed last month that what triggered the death of the animal was that stone in the colon that caused a bowel obstruction.
These types of “stones” are formed by the food that sperm whales eat, such as squid beaks, which are very hard. Although they can be eliminated through the feces or vomited, in some cases they end up being a complication for the animals.
“Just like in the kidney, when a nucleus is formed that begins to calcify. This same. Imagine a beak that doesn’t come out well because the intestine doesn’t work well, it doesn’t protect it well, or it simply gets trapped, it starts to form a stone,” Antonio Fernández, professor at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, told the chain. RTVC.
The obstruction led the animal to suffer from diphtheroid colitis which caused bacteria from the intestine to reach the blood, causing bleeding in many organs.
Of great value
In the perfume industry, the so-called “gris amber” is highly prized for its properties. But experts say that only 1% to 5% of sperm whales ever produce it, which increases its value.
Formerly used in religious ceremonies, as an aphrodisiac in the Middle East, delicatessen in China, or as an ingredient in traditional medicine potions, today this substance is used mostly in the perfume industry.
“Ambergris has a very particular aroma,” Dom Devetta, founder of the British perfume company Shay & Blue, explained to BBC Mundo in 2015.
“Its aroma is intense, sweet, animal. It adds a layer within the fragrance that gives it a touch of passion, sensuality, sexuality and that’s something difficult to achieve,” she noted at the time.
“It also helps the perfume stay longer on the skin, although like any other scent, it is not for everyone,” added the fragrance expert.
In the case of the stone found in the La Palma sperm whale, due to its size and weight, it is estimated that it can reach a price of more than US$500,000
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See original article on BBC