This paper is devoted to ambergris, a metabolite found in the gut of cashalots. Ambergris is highly appreciated by perfumers for its unique scent and fixative properties. The main chemical constituent of the ambergris is the tricyclic triterpene ambrein. On its oxidation, the odorous compounds characteristic for ambergris are formed, one of the most important being ambrox. Because of the almost complete worldwide ban on whaling, the necessity appears to find synthetic substitutes for ambergris. Ambrox turned out to be a suitable substitute, which was obtained from diterpene sclareol, isolated from clary sage. A range of new compounds with ambergris-like odorous were prepared in the laboratory headed by the author, from the by-products formed in three steps transformation of sclareol into ambrox.