$500,000 chunk of 'floating gold' found in dead whale

sperm whale dead on a beach with the sea in the background — A sperm whale (*Physeter macrocephalus*) washed up on a beach in La Palma was found to have a huge chunk of ambergris inside its intestine. (Image credit: ULPGC)

A massive chunk of "floating gold" has been found in the belly of a dead whale beached on the Spanish island of La Palma. The highly valuable substance — called ambergris — is a waxy material secreted by sperm whales when they swallow indigestible material such as squid beaks.

Antonio Fernández Rodríguez, an animal health researcher at the University of Las Palmas, was digging inside the washed-up whale's carcass to try and figure out how it died when he came upon a chunk of something stuck in the whale's intestine, The Guardian reported.

The ambergris seemed to have ruptured the whale's intestine, leading to its death and eventual beaching.

Only 1% to 5% of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are found with ambergris — a secretion from the bile duct that is believed to coat indigestible objects the animal has eaten. Normally whales regurgitate these objects, but when they don't, the ambergris helps protect the whale's organs from the sharp material.

This rare substance has been used in perfume-making for hundreds of years because it can help a scent stick to a person's skin — and while synthetic alternatives have since been invented, some companies still use it for certain fragrances.

Sperm whales were one of the most sought-after species in the historical whaling industry, and over-hunting caused their population to plummet. But while the global sperm whale population appears to have stabilized since the decline of whaling in the late 20th century, the species is still considered vulnerable.