I would like to buy a small quanity of real sperm whale oil, but only
if this can be done legally.

I have heard that these days the sperm whale is protected, but I'm
unclear about whether this animal can still be hunted in limited
numbers, or not at all.

Because if they can be hunted in limited numbers, that means somebody
somewhere is still selling sperm whale oil.  So, assuming this would
not break any laws, where can I purchase some on the internet?

Evidently it is illegal and you risk a $2,000 fine:

http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2004/jun04/noaa04-r150.html

How would you like to pay?

Quite so.  Yes, whales are still hunted on a limited scale, but not
whales from which whale oil was traditionally gained.  And without a
market for the oil, I doubt that anyone is trying to produce from the
smaller species  - if it could be done.
Maybe, just maybe, you could find an old watchmaker who had some,
probably the finer spermaceti, but he probably would be hoarding it
for his own use.
This site mentions that jojuba oil is a substitute:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_oil

gnossie, why do you want real sperm whale oil?

http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/trek/4wd/nukes_diffs.htm

The writer of that article is a well respected and reliable Australian
science commentator, regularly appearing in the media and on
Australia's public broadcaster, with a flair for explaining difficult
science concepts in simple, engaging and informative manner and
language.

I'm just nuts about Moby Dick (read it zillions of times), and thought
it would be neat to closely inspect the substance on which everything
in that book is based.  It is more like shampoo, oil of Olay,
mayonnaise, etc.  Is it pure white?  Translucent?  Lumpy?  Smelly? 
Etc.

Just curious.

In that case, what about visiting a whaling museum?

Hi Gnossie,

My dad bought a small bottle of spermaceti back in the early 1950s. 
As I remember, it was a clear, colorless liquid.

But here is a site with some descriptions of sperm and whale oil:

http://www.whalingmuseum.org/kendall/amwhale/am_hunt.html

Yes, make a trip to New Bedford to the whaling museum (1/2 sized bark
in the building and much more), also the chapel with the boat's prow
pulpit nearby.
And then scoot over to the Mystic Maritime Museum for the all it
offers, including the whaling ship that was in the film "Down to the
Sea in Ships".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041313/

There is also a 1922 silent film with same title, but I don't know
anything about it except that it was Clara Bow's first role.

And for a nice, informative young peoples' book on seafaring ca.
1860-1950, try "Seabird" by Holling C. Holling.  The first chapter is
aboard a whaler.

As you can tell, your comment touched a tender spot with me.  :-)

Myo

Thanks for the leads, Myo.  I've never heard about that movie before: 
I'll check it out.

Oh no, Myo ...

According to:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001966/

It was not Clara Bow's first role!

Had you forgotten 'Beyond the Rainbow' (1922) in which she made her
debut, playing the part of  Virginia Gardener?

Her co-stars were Judy Garland and Ray Bolger.

Clara then became better known as the 'Isn't Girl', before Information
Technology had been invented.

This is a great place to start:
http://images.google.com/images?q=sperm+whale+oil&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

Bryan, aka as Adonis in more narcistic moments,

This site says that Clara's scenes in "Beyond the Rainbow" got left on
the cutting room floor.

http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=14511

For Gnossie, however, the article has a description of the film.  It
can also be had on DVD, I saw on another site.

The whaling ship in Mystic Seaport is the Charles Morgan, the ship in
both films, I believe.

And, if your interest in sailing narratives goes beyond whaling, I can
recommend Charles Dana's "Two Years before the Mast" and Josh.
Slocum's "Sailing alone around the World".

A gallon, eh, Jonathan?

YES ... I did point out that it was illegal in my first comment:

>Evidently it is illegal and you risk a $2,000 fine:

>http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2004/jun04/noaa04-r150.html

How would you like to pay the fine, Jonathan?

Even the ASKING is illegal?  Yikes!  I'm done for now!

Maybe I can buy some on Second Life...