First and foremost, it is important to disclose the most intriguing aspect of Ambergris; Despite being recognised as extremely rare and valuable throughout history (ambergris was known and considered as an imperial trade article in Africa as early as 1000BC). No one to this day has ever seen this curious substance physically depart the sperm whale. There has been endless debate as to whether it leaves as 'vomit' or as faecal matter! Many research papers have alluded to the fact this is faecal and not vomit; this has (in recent years) been scientifically verified.
The sperm whale can consume up to a ton of fish and squid per day (mainly giant squid). Giant squid have sharp, parrot like beaks which can't always be digested and can irritate the whale's intestines.
Ambergris starts to form when the whale produces a fatty, cholesterol-rich substance as a defence, which coats and surrounds the beaks so that they can pass through the whale's four stomachs without causing too much damage to the intestine walls. This process is similar to a grain of sand in an oyster forming a pearl! The waxy piece (also known as a 'COPROLITH') grows over time and is eventually expelled into the sea.
Ambergris is found at sea or on coastal shorelines all over the world. It can be 100kg + in weight and can be almost any shape! How old could a chunk of ambergris be? A piece was once carbon dated at Plymouth University in the UK, and revealed to be 1000 years old! The largest find ever weighed 455 kilograms and sold for £23,000 in 1914 (R Clarke 2006). Since, a piece was found was in Texel in the Netherlands in 2012 and weighed 83 kilograms. One of the largest pieces since then (sourced by Ambergris Connect) was found in Portugal in 2019, and weighed 120 kilograms. Ambergris is mostly recognised for the renowned and unique qualities it can contribute when used in the production of perfume and fragrance (much like musk) and it is legal for import, export and trade in most countries.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF AMBERGRIS
In 1946, chemists Leopold Ruzi?ka (a 1939 Nobel laureate) and F. Lardon at ETH Zurich reported that ambergris has three main components: the triterpene alcohol ambrein, the steroid alcohol epicoprostanol, and the steroid ketone coprostanone. Acids make up a small fraction as do metals 'This metal profile suggests to us that the metal content of the flotsam reflects that of the liver, mantle, eyes and haemolymph of the squid in the sperm whale diet' (Rowland et al, 2024).. Breakdown of the relatively scentless ambrein through oxidation produces ambroxan and ambrinol, the main odor components of ambergris (Kemp, 2012 ; Rowland et al., 2019).
Ambergris is insoluble in water and has a melting point of 82-83 degrees Celsius.