Ambergris

Hello, this isWild Suzhou. Today, we will betalking about ambergris, an interesting product that comes from the intestinesof a sperm whale and has some unexpected uses. First, let’s talkmore about what ambergris actually is. It is also called grey amber, which isjust a translation of the originally French word. This waxy, usually greysubstance is formed in the bile ducts of a sperm whale’s intestine, and similarto poop, it exits the body the same way. Scientists believe that the reasonambergris exists is that it acts as a waxy coating over sharp objects, such assquid beaks, that sperm whales will eat. By doing this, these sharp and usuallyhard-to-digest objects will not scratch and hurt the inside of the whale’sintestine. But, what isambergris used for? In some places, especially in East Asia, ambergris has beenused as traditional medicine. But more common and more surprising is thatambergris used to be a common ingredient in perfume. First, it is used as afixative, meaning that the smell would last longer on the wearer once they hadput the perfume on. It is also described to have a pleasant and earthy smell,making it desirable for luxury perfume makers, especially since ambergris is sorare. Ancient Egyptians would burn ambergris as incense, whereas modernEgyptians use it in cigarettes. However, ambergrisis also incredibly rare. It’s estimated that only around 1 percent of spermwhales will ever make ambergris. Also, it will usually float around in theocean for several years before it reaches the shore for someone to harvest it.Because of its rarity and also because of legal questions surrounding howethical it is to harvest ambergris, most perfume makers have stopped usingambergris and instead turned to synthetic alternatives that work just as well. For Wild Suzhou,I’m Ciana, thanks for listening and see you next time.