A chunk of ambergris found inside a dead sperm whale on a beach in the Canary Islands has been valued at nearly £400,000.
The 43-foot long, 20-tonne cetacean was found on Nogales Beach in La Palma, Spain, in mid-May.
Inside it, scientists found a 21lb chunk of ambergris, which has now been estimated at £394,000.
Forensic studies on the animal revealed last month that its death was caused by the chunk of ambergris obstructing its intestine.
The obstruction led to it suffering from diphtheroid colitis, which caused bacteria from the intestine to enter the blood, resulting in bleeding in many organs.
Ambergris, sometimes dubbed "whale vomit", is a solid waxy substance originating in the intestine of the sperm whale.
It is thought to be a substance protective against intestinal irritation caused by the indigestible horny beaks of squid and cuttlefish that the sperm whale feeds upon.
The whale's intestine can accommodate only small chunks of ambergris, so larger pieces must be regurgitated.
It is one of the most valuable raw materials in perfumery and has a unique ability to increase the longevity of a fragrance.
Depending on its quality, it can command a higher price than gold.
The sperm whale (Physeter catodon) is the largest of the toothed whales. It is listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
In June 2021, a group of penniless fishermen found £1.1 million worth of "whale vomit" in the carcass of a mammal on a beach in Yemen.
The rare treasure, known as ambergris, is a highly sought-after substance used in the perfume industry.
The 35 fishermen from southern Yemen spoke of their joy after the lucky discovery in the Gulf of Aden which lifted them out of poverty.
One of the men told the BBC: "If you find whale ambergris it's a treasure.
"One of the fishermen from Seriah called us in the morning and he said: 'There's a whale and it may contain ambergris.'"
He said as they got closer to the mammal, they noticed a strong smell and had the feeling that there might be something precious in the whale.
