Sperm whale has the largest brain on Earth, more than five times heavier than a human's. Sperm whales can live for more than 60 years. Spermaceti (sperm oil), from which the whale derives its name, was a prime target of the whaling industry, and was sought after for use in oil lamps, lubricants, and candles. Ambergris, a solid waxy waste product sometimes present in its digestive system, is still highly valued as a fixative in perfumes, among other uses. Beachcombers look out for ambergris as flotsam. Sperm whaling was a major industry in the nineteenth century, immortalised in the novel "Moby Dick".
People of the Whale Thomas to join them on the hunt. Marco has the job of listening for the whale, and on the day of the hunt, he is able to feel a whale as it approaches and expresses this to his father. When the whale appears, Thomas, without thinking, shoots the whale with his gun, and is suddenly flooded with harrowing memories of his experiences in the war. Chaos ensues the other men open fire on the whale, the canoe is flipped over, and Marco disappears. After returning, the men, excluding Thomas, carelessly leave the whale on the beach and go inside to