Sperm Whales
Ambergris comes from one specific whale, the sperm whale. These whales can found in oceans all around the world, including Britain’s coastal waters. The Sperm Whale can grow to be 67 feet long and they can weigh over 63 tons. Even though the sperm whales populations has increased, they haven’t always been so weren’t always so plenteous.
Endangered
In past years, sperm whales were regularly hunted for their blubber. It was used to make anything from candles to soap to machine oil and even pencils. And in fact, ambergris was also yielded for its scent. Sadly, as many as one million whales were killed in the 19th and 20th centuries. During the 1980s, a prohibition on whaling was passed – it also included ambergris.