How smooth is a dolphin? The ridged skin of odontocetes

Dolphin skin has long been an inspiration for research on drag reduction mechanisms due to the presence of skin ridges that could reduce fluid resistance. We gathered in vivo three-dimensional surface data on the skin from five species of odontocetes to quantitatively examine skin texture, including the presence and size of ridges. We used these data to calculate k⁺ values, which relate surface geometry to changes in boundary layer flow. Our results showed that while ridge size differs among species, odontocete skin was surprisingly smooth compared to the skin of other swimmers (average roughness = 5.3 µm). In addition, the presence of ridges was variable among individuals of the same species. We predict that odontocete skin ridges do not alter boundary layer flows at cruising swimming speeds. By combining k⁺ values and morphological data, our work provides evidence that skin ridges are unlikely to be an adaptation for drag reduction and that odontocete skin is exceptionally smooth compared to other pelagic swimmers.