the valuable oil called spermaceti is located in the head cavities on a sperm whale.
where is the valuable oil called spermaceti located on a sperm whale?
the head cavities
spermaceti





















































spermaceti (from greek "sperma" meaning "seed", and "ceti", the genitive form of "whale") is a waxy substance found in the head cavities of the sperm whale (and, in smaller quantities, in the oils of other whales). spermaceti is created in the spermaceti organ inside the whale's head. this organ may contain as much as of spermaceti.
spermaceti
each whale's head held up to a ton, in a cavity called the "case". it was part of a waxy liquid called spermaceti, from which the whale got its common name. the liquid was removed from the spermaceti organ at sea, and stored separately from the rendered whale oil for processing back in port. on return home, this headmatter, which was worth around 20% more than the oil from the blubber, was divided into two valuable commodities. one was a very pure type of sperm whale oil that required little or no additional processing. it was found particularly suitable as a lubricant for fine machinery, such as pocket watches. what remained after the oil was extracted was a waxy substance that could be made into spermaceti candles. these burned longer and brighter than tallow candles and left no smell and, as a result, sold at a higher price. although spermaceti by-products were high-value, they made up only a small proportion, perhaps 10%, of the substances extracted from sperm whales.
sperm whaling