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.
Ambergris is used to make perfumes and can sell for thousands of dollars per pound. The chunk found in the Canary Islands weighed about 21 pounds (9.5 kilograms) and could sell for approximately $550,000, according to The Guardian, which first reported the story.
