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Glossary

Sperm Whale

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Cape Cod Times Online; Giants in the Balance, James Warren

The sperm whale gets its name from spermaceti, a waxy substance found in its head. It is the largest of all toothed whales and the largest living toothed animal, growing up to 67 feet long. It was valued by whalemen for its spermaceti to make high-grade candles, and ambergris, a by-product of their digestion, to make perfumes. Its teeth were used by whalemen to carve scrimshaw. To learn more about sperm whales, click on the "About Whales" link on the navigation bar to the left.

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