Sea Lion (Sealife by CollectA)

Review and images by Sam; edited by bmathison1972

Sea lions are some of the most popular sea animals on the planet. Often confused with true seals (Phocidae), they are classified as eared seals (Otariidae). These playful creatures are known for their remarkable swimming behavior and their social behavior and loud vocalizations. They often gather in large colonies on rocky shorelines or floating rafts, where they communicate with each other through a variety of barks, grunts, and growls. Sea lions play a crucial role in marine ecosystems as top predators and indicators of ocean health. Their presence in coastal waters helps maintain the balance of marine food webs and contributes to the overall biodiversity of marine environments. They are a very popular attraction at zoos, aquariums, theme parks, circuses, and even carnivals and fairs.

Today’s review is all about CollectA’s sea lion, released in 2011 as part of their Sealife collection. I got my sea lion from Happy Hen Toys, which I highly recommend to animal replica lovers everywhere. I named her “Delmar” and will refer to her as such throughout the review.

CollectA generically named this model “sea lion,” however this specimen most likely represents the California sea lion (Zalophus californiaus), which is the most familiar of the sea lions. True to what the manufacturer is known for, Delmar is the most detailed and accurate sea lion replica I have ever seen, beating out Mojö Fun’s sea lion, which I also own. Delmar is depicted with her body reared up and her mouth wide-open, as if she is barking loudly. She is a dark black-brown, with a detailed smooth fur texture. There are some golden accents over her eyes and her upper lip. She has a graceful, torpedo-shaped body, true to the real animal.

Delmar’s face is incredibly detailed. Her eyes are painted with a shiny black paint I have seen on every CollectA replica, making her seem more lifelike. There are whisker follicles on her lip, but no whiskers since the replica is too small for that; however, I usually imagine the whiskers being there. Her nose is the correct shape, and painted with a shiny black paint. Her ears are correctly shaped as well.

But the most impressive detail lies inside of her mouth. Her mouth is painted pink, with her hard palate sculpted with palatine rugae. There is a tongue inside her mouth as well. Her teeth are accurately sculpted, and painted with some hints of gold, potentially to represent dirtiness.

Now onto Delmar’s flippers. Her flippers are soft and floppy, which I find is a nice attention to detail. Her front flippers are accurately sculpted, and her right flipper is curled up, giving her a very naturalistic pose. Her back flippers are also accurate, with nails sculpted into them. Her small, pointy tail is also visible between her back flippers.

Overall, Delmar is arguably the best and most accurate sea lion replica ever produced. CollectA is my favorite animal replica company, and I am very rarely disappointed by what they produce. This replica would look amazing in your coastal diorama, as Delmar does in mine, or your sea life-themed collection. I also highly recommend this model to animal replica collectors or animal lovers in general, and of course to those who love sea lions like myself.