/oss/taxonomy/term/6186/all en /oss/article/general-science/do-some-perfumes-actually-contain-whale-excrement <p>Sperm whales subsist on a diet of squid, octopus and cuttle fish, all of which have small hard beaks. The beaks are commonly regurgitated but sometimes may work their way into the lining of the whale’s gut which then secretes a waxy substance to encase the beaks and protect the gut from irritation. Over time, the wax and the encased beaks harden into a lump called “ambergris” that is passed out along with fecal matter. It has also been suggested that lumps too large to pass out through the rectum are regurgitated as vomit, but this seems to be questionable.</p> Wed, 06 Apr 2022 18:51:57 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9075 at /oss