Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Every year, there will be a week dedicated to sharks known as Shark Week, where many content creators dedicate to posting shark-related content for that period of time. Most famously, the infamous Discovery Channel airs the sub-par shark specials annually for that period, which unfortunately focuses more on sensationalization rather than actual science, which misinforms the general public about sharks, causing a deeper divide between fiction and reality. On the other hand, small creators on YouTube like Ben J Thomas mostly does research according to actual facts, and give us the more unique shark species as well, like the horn shark. There is no question, however, that the great white is the most popular shark species alive and since I’ve gone over facts about great whites in the past, I’ll give a quick run through on the facts before moving on with this figure:
- Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
- Order: Lamniforms
- Genus: Carcharodon
- Where found: all major seas and oceans
- Size: 450 to 640 cm for a large mature female
- Weight: 1100kg to 2268 kg
- Diet: fish (including other sharks), cetaceans, pinnepeds, sea birds, turtles and cephalopods
- Conservation status: Vulnerable
About the figure: this great white measures 25 cm from the tip of the nose to the tip of the caudal fin, putting it at the 1:18-1:25 scale for a large female, which this figure represents due to a lack of claspers. This figure was made in 1991 by Safari Lt. in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, alongside other chondrichthyes and cetaceans. Despite being a 30 year old line, most of the figures have aged like a fine wine and are still among the best, if not the best figures, of their respective species, such as the sperm whale, humpback whale, manta ray, and blue shark. How does this great white fare? Well, let’s dive in!
The figure is sculpted turning to the left and mouth agape, probably getting ready to bite down on its prey. The nose is sculpted to be protruding, not unlike what real great whites do with their pink gums sticking out. The dorsal fin sculpted turning to the left is a nice touch!
Let’s go over the positives: there are 5 gill slits, all of which are correctly sized, as real great whites have relatively large gills in proportion to their body. The color scheme is almost spot on, with black tips on the pectoral, anal, and pelvic fins; the division between the grey body and white underbelly is really well done, with a jagged pattern ending on the bottom caudal fin. All the fins look to be of the accurate size and shape, although the caudal fin could be a tad bit smaller.
Let’s now go to the inaccuracies: the most glaring part of which is the head. The head overall looks a bit too small in proportion to the rest of the body. The protruding nose is a nice touch but it leaves with no option to hide the teeth, unlike the other MBA sharks. The teeth here are done really blocky, but the nice touch is that there are multiple rows of teeth. The eye looks to be a bit too large; however, they are void black. Last but not least, this figure is missing its caudal keel! The tail base is too thin as a result, which is a big shame as large lamniforms and whale sharks are known to possess this structure.
Despite the inaccuracies, I think this is still a fun figure that kids and shark fans will enjoy alike. It has the features of a big scary shark and it’s still better than a majority of great white shark figures out there. But, it still pales in comparison with the best in the market, which are the 2016 Safari LTD and Schleich’s recent attempts (here and here). This great white shark is still in production and is available at a relatively inexpensive price.
Compared to a 1:21 scale Kanan Matsuura for an idea of scale:
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Great review.
The National Geographic channel has dedicated shark programming every year, somewhat like Discovery’s. It’s usually 2 solid weeks but this year it’s 4. For the most part the programming is much less sensational and much more scientific. Still have yet to see a show on prehistoric sharks, unfortunately.
Despite the lack of tail keel I like this figure. It’s nice and big and the head looks fine to me, despite its flaws. I love the open mouth and love the pose. I bought a Kaiyodo sea lion figure and wedged it in the mouth of this figure. Fits great and the pose can be used for a GW falling back into the water after breaching.
Inaccurate, but classic.
Came across this one in an antique store a few weeks ago and picked it up. Heavily scuffed up but it was only $6. I had one as a kid so I feel nostalgic about it.