Ambergris is a solid, waxy substance of a dull grey or blackish color, which is formed in the intestines of the sperm whale in response, it is thought, to irritation caused to the stomach lining of the whale from the sharp, indigestible parrot-like beaks of squid. The squid is a staple part of the sperm whale diet.
Once ejected in the ocean, the blob of ambergris hardens as it bobs along, eventually ending up on the shore, where it has been collected for centuries, prized for its peculiar qualities: it has been used in the perfume industry as a fixative for fine perfumes.
*It is illegal to use ambergris in perfumes in the U.S. because of the sperm whale’s endangered status.
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