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".
Subsistence hunting of the bowhead whale say that one cannot live without the other. According to the Iñupiat, the whale is the center of their diet, culture, and spirit. This makes them dependent on the complex system of sharing and celebrating the whale, and leads them to pray to any killed bowhead whale in thanks for the life it has given to them. For the Iñupiat, subsistence hunting and fishing are important and viable economic strategies, which provide food and raw materials for the whole group. When hunters bring whales back to the community, about 65–70 people drag the whale onto the ice, where they work