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See also: Great white shark, Thanatos

Magu Tapa (known in PAL regions as Magu Tapah) is a large, bloodied great white shark, and one of only two legendary creatures in Endless Ocean.

Although present in the game's files, Magu Tapa was effectively replaced by Thanatos in Endless Ocean 2, another abnormally large great white shark infamous for his temper.

Encyclopedia Description

Endless Ocean

"This legendary great white stretches over 25 feet in length. His name is taken from a myth told about the islands of Pelago about the god of death and violence. This monster can be seen year-round at Ship's Rest.

Innumerable scars cover his body as reminders of numerous vicious battles fought and won. He also bears a wound made by a harpoon or spear, but there is no way to know how old it is. The smart diver would avoid provoking this animal at all costs.

According to Pelago legend, he is the youngest of six sons of the virtuous goddess the Ancient Mother and was a great leader of many warriors. But soon he was poisoned by the sickness of greed and shunned people to pursue his own twisted desires. As punishment for his misdeeds, he was trapped by the chief god and trapped under the sea. They say the one who stands guard to assure that this atrocious god never escapes is even more terrible than his captive."

Location

Endless Ocean

The Shark Tooth Necklace, one of the keys to find Magu Tapa.

Magu Tapa patrols Ship's Rest at night, but only after the player has collected the Shark Tooth Necklace from Comb Reef. When first encountered, a short cutscene shows him swimming out of one of the large, cylindrical pieces of debris leaning against the Wreck of the Navier (what most likely used to be its smokestacks). Despite being initially encountered around here, he never enters this area again afterwards.

Magu Tapa is similar to the Ancient Mother, in that he can be placed in the aquarium. Unlike the Ancient Mother, however, he can be placed immediately after he is discovered. He takes up two squares of space in the aquarium's animal selection screen, so up to eight of him can be added to the tank, despite only one being viewable in the wild. While Katherine informs the player of the Ancient Mother's addition to the aquarium, she says nothing of Magu Tapa's. This can make the ability to add him to the aquarium somewhat of a surprise.

Behavior

Magu Tapa swims in a set loop above The Wreck of the Navier. He reacts aggressively when poked, and will lash out in an attempt to fend off the player, although his attacks do not inflict any damage and stroking him does not elicit the same response. He is also one of two creatures in the first Endless Ocean to do this, the other being the bluntnose sixgill shark.

The player can learn more about him by touching and feeding him.

Gallery

Videos

Endless_Ocean_-_Magu_Tapa

Endless Ocean - Magu Tapa

Notes

  • It has been theorized that Magu Tapa is based on the urban legend of Submarine, a 35-foot-long shark purported to have attacked people off of the coast of South Africa[1]. While the tales of Submarine have their believers, the stories have been widely dismissed as sensationalism[2][3][4].
  • Jaws Animatronic

    An old photo of the animatronic shark used in Jaws; note Magu Tapa's similar fins.

    Magu Tapa could be based off of the film Jaws, specifically the shark featured in said film, named Bruce. This can be backed up by the fact that internally, Magu Tapa's model file is named "Jaws", as well as the general similarities - both physical and of temperament - between the two.
    • Comparing images of the animatronic used for Bruce with Magu Tapa reveals nearly identical placements of distinct features, such as notches both on the dorsal fin and the caudal fin.
  • Magu Tapa is the only creature in the series exclusive to Endless Ocean.
  • Even though Magu Tapa is not present in Endless Ocean 2, a model and an updated description for him can be found in the files of the game. It is unknown if the it was meant to be part of the second game (in which he would've likely been dangerous) or if he was just ported over with the other Endless Ocean animals.
    • There is no data referring to its species in the second game's info, not even question marks.
    • Its description is situated after the giant siphonophore and before the fanfin in the list order.
    • Its updated description surprisingly contains a mix of names from both the NA and EU versions of Endless Ocean, as well as a mention of Ship's Rest/Ocean's Graveyard. It also describes the shark as slightly smaller than in the original game: "This legendary great white shark is enormous, over 23 ft. in length, and named after the Pelago Islanders' god of death and violence. It can be seen anywhere in Ocean's Graveyard at any time of year. The countless scars on its body are almost certainly the result of numerous violent encounters; one looks like it was made by a harpoon or a spear, but there's no telling how long ago the wound happened. It's best not to provoke it."
  • Despite the game stating that he is a great white shark, the Marine Encyclopedia lists Magu Tapa's species as Magu tapa, thereby placing him in an entirely different genus than the great white, as well as an entirely new species altogether.
  • Magu Tapa's in-game model is actually more in line with how great white sharks look in real life, compared to those of the standard great whites present in Endless Ocean.
  • The fact that Magu Tapa is replaced by an Orca during daylight hours could be a reference to the real world, where orcas and great white sharks are often thought to compete with each other as the top predator, and have even been known to attack each other.
    • It could also indicate that even Magu Tapa is afraid of orcas, as is the case with the rest of his species. A theory further supported by the fact that more standard great whites are present at Ship's Rest at night.
  • Magu Tapa's attack animation is the same one utilized by aggressive sharks in Endless Ocean 2. Considering how that game reuses a lot of assets from its predecessor, it can be assumed that the developers simply decided to repurpose the animation instead of making a new one.
  • Magu Tapa's encyclopedia description states that he may be a son of the Ancient Mother. This makes them the only two legendary creatures in the series to have an implied connection with one another.
  • Given the fact that Magu Tapa's appearance is connected to the player possessing the Shark Tooth Necklace, it is possible that the tooth on the necklace could belong to him.

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References

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