Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)

With its distinctive, sharply contrasting mix of gray, black, blue, white, and yellow coloration, the Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) is one of the ocean’s most attractive species of dolphin. And yet, it is not terribly popular with toy manufacturers which tend to focus on the far more popular but somewhat bland bottlenose dolphin. Only two figures of the species exist. A TOOB figure by Safari and this 2020 standard size figure, also by Safari and the subject of today’s review.

The Atlantic white-sided dolphin lives in cool and temperate waters of the North Atlantic, where they favor the edges of continental shelves, slopes, and canyons. They generally live in pods ranging in size from 5-50 individuals but have also been observed in groups of several hundreds or thousands. These dolphins are fast and acrobatic and feed on various fishes including hake, cod, herring, mackerel, and smelt, as well as shrimp and other crustaceans, and squid.

The Atlantic white-sided dolphin reaches a length of 8-9’ (2.4-2.7 meters) and weighs between 360-505 lbs. (163-229 kg). Safari’s figure measures about 4.5” (11.43 cm) which puts the figure at about 1/20 in scale. Molecular evidence shows that the Atlantic white-sided dolphin is a basal member of the Delphinidae family and not closely related to the other members of the Lagenorhynchus genus to which it belongs. As a result, it has been proposed that the species should be reclassified within a new genus of its own, Leucopleurus.

The body of the figure is accurately sculpted with a robust, streamlined build, short beak, and thick keel at the base of the flukes. The flippers and dorsal fin are pointed and falcate in shape. A blowhole is sculpted atop the gently sloping forehead. The underside is featureless, lacking a genital slit or umbilical scar. Interestingly, the smaller TOOB figure of this species does have those features.

The coloration and patterning of the Atlantic white-sided dolphin is quite complex, and Safari has done an admirable job of replicating it here. The back, top of the beak, flippers, and flukes are all black. Gray/blue streaks are painted along the sides and the belly and lower jaw are white. A white band painted below the dorsal fin connects to a yellow band on the tailstock. Missing is the dark line that extends from the eyes to the pectoral fins, a feature that Safari also left off its vaquita porpoise figure.

Overall, the Safari Ltd. Atlantic white-sided dolphin is a unique figure of an attractive species that adds some much-needed color and diversity to any collection of dolphin species. The figure is currently in production and retails for about $6.50.