One factoid about said nastiness which I find fascinating is that a much larger version is prized by people for its very odor. Sperm Whales produce an
exudate known as
ambergris which - although according its node is
secreted in folds of the
intestines, not the
tonsils - is almost identical in appearance and odor. Except, of course, that version comes in sixty to two-hundred pound chunks.
Ambergris was prized in times past (and some places, in times present) as the primary source of scent for parfumerie, or the art, manufacture and dispensing of perfumes. Due to its rank strength, a single chunk of ambergris could provide esters for a huge quantity of perfumes.