2017-03-07

[public] 2.40M views, 28.0K likes, dislikes audio only

MinuteEarth

How whale poop becomes perfume. Thanks to Crunchyroll for sponsoring this video! http://www.crunchyroll.com/minuteearth

Thanks also to our supporters on https://www.patreon.com/MinuteEarth

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FYI: We try to leave jargon out of our videos, but if you want to learn more about this topic, here are some keywords to get your googling started:

Sperm Whale: (Physeter macrocephalus) The largest toothed-whale, found in oceans all around the world, and likely the only whale besides the Pygmy Sperm Whale to produce ambergris.

Cephalopod: An active predatory mollusk like an octopus or a squid.

Cetacean: A marine mammal like a porpoise, dolphin or whale.

Colon: The part of the large intestine that goes from the cecum to the rectum.

Rectum: The last part of the intestine that ends in the anus.

Eau de toilette: A dilute form of perfume

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Credits (and Twitter handles):

Script Writer: David Goldenberg (@dgoldenberg)

Script Editor: Alex Reich (@alexhreich)

Video Illustrator: Ever Salazar (@eversalazar)

Video Director: Emily Elert (@eelert)

Video Narrator: Emily Elert (@eelert)

With Contributions From: Henry Reich, Kate Yoshida, Peter Reich

Music by: Nathaniel Schroeder: http://www.soundcloud.com/drschroeder

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If you liked this week’s video, we think you might also like:

When a whale falls, it's story has just begun: https://vimeo.com/29987934

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References:

Clarke, R. (2006). The Origin of Ambergris. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals 5:1 (7-21). Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.5597/lajam00087

Dannenfeldt, K. (1982). Ambergris: The Search for Its Origin. Isis 73:3 (382-397). Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/231442

Kemp, K. (2016). Personal communication based on his book, “Floating Gold: A Natural (and Unnatural) History of Ambergris.” Link: https://www.amazon.com/Floating-Gold-Natural-Unnatural-Ambergris/dp/0226430367