Vomit: Worth of MILLIONS

Vomit: Worth of MILLIONS

 

Yes, you heard it right a vomit which is worth of millions. It is the vomit of sperm whale. Sperm whale is so huge in size that it is equal to size of a big school bus and weigh upto 50 tons. It can stay in water for more than 1 hour by without taking oxygen and can dive upto 1km. The sperm whale has largest brain among the all living organisms in the world. They generally feed on cuttel fish and squids.

The vomit of sperm whale is called ambergris. You might be thinking why sperm whale vomits, so this is because sperm whale cannot digest the bones of squids and due to some other sharp objects which whale has eaten. Ambergris is formed from a secretion of the bile duct in the intestines of the sperm whale, and can be found floating on the sea or washed up on the coast. It is also sometimes found in the abdomens of dead sperm whales. Ambergris is found in lumps of various shapes and sizes, usually weighing from 15 g to 50 kg, sometimes more. When initially expelled by or removed from the whale, the fatty precursor of ambergris is pale white in colour (sometimes streaked with black), soft, with a strong fecal smell. Following months to years of photodegradation and oxidation in the ocean, this precursor gradually hardens, developing a dark grey or black colour, a crusty and waxy texture, and a peculiar odour that is at once sweet, earthy and marine. It has a very foul smell, due to reaction with water and sun the foul smell turns to fragrance. Waves carry ambergris to the shores and some people misjudge it as a rock.

Ambergris has been mostly known for its use in creating perfume and fragrance much like musk. Perfumes can still be found with ambergris around the world. It is collected from remains found at sea and on beaches, although its precursor originates from the sperm whale, which is a vulnerable species. Ancient Egyptians burned ambergris as incense, while in modern Egypt ambergris is used for scenting cigarettes. The ancient Chinese called the substance "dragon’s spittle fragrance”. During the Black Death in Europe, people believed that carrying a ball of ambergris could help prevent them from getting the plague. This was because the fragrance covered the smell of the air which was believed to be a cause of plague.

Ambergris is primarily found in the Atlantic Ocean and on the coasts of South Africa, Brazil, Madagascar, the China, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand, and the Molucca Islands.Most commercially collected ambergris comes from the Bahamas in the Atlantic, particularly New Providence. Fossilized ambergris from 1.75 million years ago has also been found.

The government has imposed ban on illegally selling ambergris because it may cause killing of whales and may further extinct the whale.