Connecticut also has a state animal (the sperm whale), state ship (USS Nautilus) and a state mineral (garnet).

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Ambergris is found in the innards of the sperm whale and used in perfumes after it has been vomited up.

BBC: Charlie Naysmith with the ambergris

The navy has also noted the location of a sperm whale off Mull which was seen in Oban bay earlier this month.

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The sperm whale, a deep diving species, spent almost nine days in the shallow waters of Oban bay before swimming back out to sea.

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Other images on show include a pygmy seahorse camouflaging itself among coral, a sperm whale investigating the photographer, and a bee-eater bird catching a dragonfly for his mate.

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At one point, an injured sperm whale charged toward them.

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But after looking it up on the internet with his father, Alex, they discovered that it was likely to be a rare form of vomit from a sperm whale.

BBC: Charlie Naysmith with the ambergris

Rapacious and uncontrolled commercial whaling (most notably by Britain and America in the 18th and 19th centuries) did indeed drive many species, such as the right whale and the sperm whale, close to extinction.

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With the massive whales come other giants of the sea, like whale sharks and sperm whales and occasionally hammerheads, sea lions and dolphins.

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However, they were identified as sperm whales by Nick Davies, who runs Gairloch-based Hebridean Whale Cruises and is involved in a Sea Watch project.

BBC: Sperm whales