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The skin of cetaceans is surprisingly sensitive and easily marked. A scrape or a rake here, a brush with a predator there and a mark will be left forever. Many of the toothed dolphins and whales feed on squid. Squid can also leave marks with their fearsome beak (mouthparts) or with its suckers which can attach ‘limpet-like’ to the head of a dolphin.
The sensitivity of cetacean skin is perhaps best exemplified by Risso’s Dolphins. Here’s a photo of an adult we saw off California last month showing the hieroglyphic like markings amassed over time which ultimately can be used as an aid to the identification of individuals – like cetacean fingerprints. Click the photo to enlarge the detail.
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Letter From Norfolk 