Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Gaza Media Office: Bloody spectacle shows that these zones have become collective death traps rather than aid distribution zones.
Gaza Media Office: Dozens of citizens are still surrounded under constant fire in the vicinity of the "aid station."
Gaza Media Office: As soon as citizens arrived, occupation and Americans opened direct fire on them.
Gaza Media Office: Occupation, in complicity with the US company, called on citizens to move toward Wadi Gaza Bridge, claiming that aid would be distributed.
Gaza Government Media Office: Occupation set a bloody trap at bridge of Wadi Gaza, luring thousands of starved civilians, and opened fire on them.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone drops sonic grenade in town of Ramiyah.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone strike targets vehicle in town of Beit Lif.
The Government Media Office in Gaza: The occupation’s latest crime is further evidence of its ongoing implementation of genocide through starvation.
Gaza Government Media Office: This is a methodical use of aid as a tool of war to blackmail hungry civilians.
Gaza Government media office: Massacre committed by occupation today is a blatant war crime under international law.

'Gold' worth $543,000 found in dead whale on Canary Islands shore

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 5 Jul 2023 08:53
  • 2 Shares
3 Min Read

Ambergris, a rare substance often known as floating gold, is and has been the treasure of perfumers for centuries, and the one Fernández found was worth about €500,000 ($543,442).

  • x
  • A humpback whale leaps out of the water in the channel off the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii in 2005 (AP)
    A humpback whale leaps out of the water in Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii in 2005. (AP)

After a sperm whale was found washed up dead on a beach in the Canary Island of Las Palmas in Spain, the head of the Institute of Animal Health and Food Security at the University of Las Palmas, Antonio Fernández Rodríguez, decided to investigate, and little did he know that he would find treasure.

Upon suspecting the cause of death to be digestive, the whale's colon was inspected and something hard was found stuck to the intestine.

“What I took out was a stone about 50-60cm in diameter weighing 9.5kg,” he said, adding, “The waves were washing over the whale. Everyone was watching when I returned to the beach but they didn’t know that what I had in my hands was ambergris.”

The rare substance, often known as floating gold, ambergris has been the treasure of perfumers for centuries, and the one Fernández found was worth about €500,000 ($543,442). With its woody scent similar to sandalwood, it contains ambrein, which is an odorless alcohol able to extend the life of scents, making it more desirable to the fragrance industry.

Related News

18-meter whale beaches itself and dies on shore in Indonesia

The US, Australia, and India have banned the ambergris trade as part of a ban on the hunting and exploitation of whales.

Read next: 18-meter whale beaches itself and dies on shore in Indonesia

Produced by about one in 100 sperm whales, ambergris is the product of a whale eating large quantities of squid and cuttlefish, and the remains that are not vomited out bind together in the whale’s intestines to form ambergris.

However, it is sometimes excreted, which explains why it can be found commonly floating in the sea, but if it grows too large, just like the one in Las Palmas, it can rupture the intestine and kill the whale.

Fernández stated that his institute is looking for a potential buyer, with hopes that the profit would go toward helping victims of the volcano that erupted on the island in 2021, causing more than €800 million ($869 million) in damage.

“The law is different in every country,” Fernández said. “In our case, I hope the money will go to the island of La Palma, where the whale ran aground and died.”

  • sperm whale
  • Spain
  • ambergris
  • Gold
  • Canary Islands

Most Read

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive to a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington (AP)

Rift widens: Trump, Netanyahu clash in heated phone call over Iran

  • Politics
  • 26 May 2025
US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump tensions

US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump pressures

  • US & Canada
  • 25 May 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announces a new operation against Ben Gurion Airport on May 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen announces successful hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion

  • Politics
  • 30 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
MIT bans class president who gave pro-Palestine speech
US & Canada

MIT bans class president over pro-Palestine speech

Arab ministers condemn Israel 'ban' on planned West Bank visit
Politics

Arab ministers condemn Israeli ban on planned West Bank visit

Major General Hu Gangfeng, Vice President, National Defense University, People's Liberation Army, China, leaves after a panel discussion during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Politics

China blasts Hegseth, calls US top 'troublemaker' in Asia-Pacific

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: Reports
Technology

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: NBC News

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS