Visual observations of the sphere wake have been obtained using the flash photolysis technique. Free stream turbulence of 7 and 10% was found to progressively reduce the size of the wake but no turbulence was found in the attached shear layer nor was the position of the separation point affected. A separation bubble was identified as predicted by Son and Hanratty (1969). Evidence is presented to show that drag reduction in turbulent free streams is not due to turbulence in the attached boundary layer but to enhanced momentum transfer in the wake
