Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Make no surprise there have already been multiple manta ray figures reviewed on this blog, with 3 from the big 4 already being tackled: CollectA, Papo, and Schleich. It is not surprising, as there is no shortage of manta ray figures, with a number of good and incredible figures in many different sizes: from tube-sized to standard-sized figures, across both the reef and oceanic mantas. Today, we will be looking at the largest one and as far as I know, the first serious attempt at the genus: the Safari Ltd. Monterey Bay Aquarium manta ray, a 31-year-old sculpt, with at least 2 revisions; the one I have is the 2016 remaster, which along other Monterey Bay Aquarium figures from the same year, essentially just has a new paint scheme.
About the figure: this manta ray measures 22.4 cm wide from wingtip to wingtip, putting it at the 1:18-1:41 scale for a mature specimen, although they are usually smaller and fitting in the advertised 1:30 scale. As for identification, Safari Ltd. only left us guessing on the species on the website, but after looking at the figure, I can safely say 100%, this figure represents Mobula birostris, the giant oceanic manta, and we will get to the reasoning as we take a look at the figure. The figure is sculpted in a rather static position with the pectoral fins slightly flapping and the short tail curled to the side. Once again, this figure is a female specimen.
The figure is painted in black with a white underbelly. On my figure, there has been some paint chips so do be careful especially when storing it. The eye is white with a black pupil and the area surrounding the parameter has been given a black wash to it. The white patch on the dorsal view makes the black within the cephalic fins form a T shape, which is a trait of M. birostris. On the flip side, the black patterns do not continue past the 5th gills, which is another trait of M. birostris. I do wish the white patches could be a very light grey and that it’s more faded, but for being a cheap yet high quality figure, it’s forgivable. Despite the very simple colours, it is effective in giving this figure an accurate color scheme.
Sculptwise, this manta ray is amongst the best, which is very impressive for a 30+ year old figure. All the typical manta ray traits are present: 3 pairs of fins (cephalic, pectoral, and pelvic), 5 pairs of gills, dorsal fin, and relatively short tail. The cranial width is the appropriate size and not too small like in the CollectA figure. I do feel that the figure could use a bit more bulk in terms of the thickness of the figure, as even though mantas are very compressed like other rays, I feel the figure is a little too thin and the pelvic fins should extend slightly past the pectoral fins. The biggest point of interest of the sculpt is the dorsal fin: from the pictures of manta rays, the dorsal fin ends in a very small inward notch in the dorsal fin. However, this one has a slight bulbous extension and it gives us something reminiscent of a vestigial stinger, which solidifies this figure being M. birostris as this trait is exclusive to the species. It is unknown whether it was intentional or coincidental as the figure was released in 1991 and it was only in 2009 when M. alfredi and M. birostris were considered seperate species, but it’s still an amazing detail Safari has added.
This is not the only manta ray to be produced by Safari Ltd. There was one produced in 2004 and one made as recent as 2018, which I have in hand and will be comparing it to. The 2018 one is smaller, has a longer tail, but has a more defined vestigial stinger and is bulkier in proportion . However, I feel the Monterey Bay one is the superior figure, especially with the gills taking more than half of the underside and the lack of any patterns on the underside. It’s still a good figure, being more space friendly for those with smaller collections, and it’s cheaper too!
Despite a few very minor quirks, this figure has stood the test of time and is in my opinion, amongst the best manta ray figures, alongside the 2013 Schleich one and the Colorata deluxe one. Unlike those 2, this Safari Ltd. figure is still in production and readily available online in most places that sells Safari Ltd. products. The larger size and scale means it scales well with many figures in most people’s collection. The Monterey Bay Aquarium line hasn’t released a new figure since the giant squid in 1999 and it does raise concerns about the line’s longevity, like the Carnegie Collection. However, it looks like the line is here to stay for now and it gives us plenty of time to appreciate whatever is still in production.
Thank you for sharing such a thorough review!