The forensic veterinary team from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) who have been in charge of the necropsy of the sperm whale stranded on Nogales beach in La Palma on May 21st have ruled that it died from "an intestinal obstruction from an amber stone weighing 9 kilos and measuring almost 60 centimetres in diameter."
Their report concludes that "the sperm whale died shortly before reaching Playa Nogales beach due to a hemorrhagic process caused by chronic obstructive inflammation in the colon”.
They note that “the weight of sperm whale was between 5 and 10 tons below average taking into account its length of almost 13 metres. This is confirmed by the lack of amount of food found in its stomach, which was the first indication of the causes of death of the mammal.”
“However, there was a large amber stone lodged in its colon which it was unable to expel through the rectum”, adding that "one in every hundred sperm whales dies in this way.”
This discovery has sparked a controversy over who should take charge of the 9 kilos stone, as it is a rare and expensive substance used in the production of expensive perfumers. Ambergris can fetch up to 70,000 euros per kilo, so the question is being asked: who will keep this valuable substance and how should the money obtained be used?
Some are suggesting that the Puntallana Council, the municipality where the whale was washed up, should be the recipient of this valuable substance, which could be worth more than 360,000 euros. Others suggest that the Cabildo de La Palma could donate this sum to those affected by the recent volcanic eruption.
However, some argue against the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) benefitting financially. They claim that although the ULPGC's forensic team performed a necropsy on the sperm whale and discovered the ambergris, the university should not keep the money from it as they already have funding and it should be used for more urgent and needy causes.
It will be interesting to follow how this controversy is resolved and how the money obtained will be used, looking for the best beneficiaries for the community and the environment affected by recent events.
