I did this for a family birthday (there were 4 of us that celebrated birthdays in the same month). The cake had to travel for about 2 hours and I waited to put the "fins" in until we got there. Which is why they broke - traveling with two toddlers. The icing is lighter on the belly and gets darker towards the top. Other than the fins, it is all done in buttercream. I used the football pan for the shape.