Onlooker captures image of massive, over-the-top vessel out at sea: 'Shaking my head'

Images of a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean Sea sparked a lively conversation on social media about how excessive wealth and good taste seldom mix.

"Never confuse wealth with taste." — Photo Credit: Reddit

The two pictures, posted to r/yachtporn, were taken off the coast of Menorca, one of Spain's Balearic Islands. The first displays the yacht during a seemingly overcast day, while the second shows it at night in all its gaudy glory.

The original poster's comments provided details about just how expensive this floating monstrosity is. The OP said that hiring the yacht for a single week "in high season" will set you back $865,000, and that's not including the expected 10% tip for the crew. This figure seems to be in the ballpark, as the ship appeared to be the Starfire (accompanied by its tender vessel, the Starlet), which is listed at rates up to €750,000 per week (over $885,000).

The discussion of the superyacht raised an important point about the harmful impact that such ostentatious luxury has on the planet. Superyachts and private jets emit vast quantities of planet-heating carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The market is only growing; according to Yacht Rental Dubai (which cited SuperYacht Times), there are about 5,396 superyachts (98 feet or longer). There are also over 20,000 private planes in the world, per Stratos Jets. Oxfam reported that the environmental impact of the wealthy people who use these yachts and jets vastly exceeds that of average people.

The organization's Carbon Inequality Kills study found that 23 superyachts owned by 18 billionaires accounted for an average of 5,672 tonnes (6,252 tons) of carbon pollution. For reference, it would take the average person 860 years to reach that staggering total. In developing countries, which are facing the brunt of the consequences of rising global temperatures, the gap is even larger.

It's worth keeping that in mind the next time you see a company produce a slick ad touting its commitment to the environment. In some cases, the actions of wealthy business owners undermine their companies' eco initiatives.

Commenters were largely unimpressed by the yacht.

"Floating pollution machine," one user wrote.

Others poked fun at how unimpressive the yacht would be to the ultra-wealthy.

With tongue firmly in cheek, one poster quipped: "That [would] get you laughed out of the room at billionaires club. A full field on your shadow yacht is the way to go. Shaking my head at these superyacht peasants."