Marine biologists racing to discover why a sperm whale stranded on a remote shoreline were stunned by what their necropsy uncovered deep inside its stomach. The massive mammal appeared healthy on the outside, yet its death remains a mystery that now has researchers questioning their entire understanding of ocean pollution.
A sperm whale that stranded in the Canary Islands in 2023 died from a large intestinal blockage caused by ambergris, a substance long associated with the perfume industry. The case is one of several recent strandings that have drawn attention to the health threats facing these animals, including parasitic infections and internal injuries that are only visible during necropsies.Sperm whales are the…