Onlooker captures photo of massive, mysterious yacht in US harbor: 'Been here since yesterday and hasn't moved'

A concerned resident shared a picture of an outrageously sized boat in San Diego Bay. They wondered if anyone knew who it belonged to. 

"Any idea whose yacht had been anchored in the harbor for the last day?" the original poster asked the r/SanDiego subreddit. "It's been here since yesterday and hasn't moved." 

The OP also noted that the yacht, which was seen in the Little Italy area, had "lots of fun lights" and had hosted a party the previous night. 

The true size of the superyacht can be gauged by the nearby smaller boats in the bottom corner of the picture, which all look tiny compared to the massive vessel in the background. 

Some commenters attempted to identify the owner of the boat in question, although one guessed incorrectly. 

"Where did Zuckerberg's yacht go, or is this it?" one commenter mistakenly suggested, referring to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

However, someone chimed in with the right answer. 

"I thought it was Dennis Washington's yacht," another said. 

A quick internet search matched the vessel in question with the Montana billionaire's superyacht, Attessa V. The yacht is characteristically marked by sleek, wavy lines that outline the boat's windows and deck areas. 

SuperYachtFan said this luxury superyacht, measuring 95 meters long, or 312 feet, is powered by two diesel engines and has a range of 4,500 nautical miles. The $200 million superyacht costs between $10 million and $20 million to maintain annually. 

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This isn't the first time one of Washington's boats has been spotted in the San Diego waters. 

In October 2018, Washington's previous superyacht, the Attessa IV, was involved in a fatal boat collision with a fishing boat, the Prowler, near San Diego, according to the Great Falls Tribune. It resulted in the death of retiree Richard Neff, 66.

According to ABC10 News San Diego, the collision damaged the right side of the deck. There were two other injuries on the boat that night. As the Tribune noted, Washington was not on board at the time.

Washington's yacht is just another blatant flaunting of wealth and privilege with no regard for the environmental consequences of living these lavish lifestyles. 

Flying private and boating on luxury superyachts produce an unethically disproportionate amount of harmful gas pollution that contributes to an increasingly warmer planet. 

PBS cited a study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment that said private jets account for 1.8% of total aviation pollution. The industry as a whole is responsible for 4% of all human-caused planet-warming gases. 

Meanwhile, CleanTechnica observed that the world's top 300 superyachts produce almost 285,000 tons of carbon dioxide pollution annually. According to an Environmental Protection Agency calculator, that is equivalent to 60,308 gas-powered vehicles being driven for one year. 

The casual outings and indulgences of the ultra-wealthy are effectively setting back progress on global environmental goals, which forces the average consumer to question whether their individual efforts matter at all. 

While some may have understandable doubts, every effort to limit the rise in the planet's temperatures eases the suffering and burden on the world's most vulnerable communities and ecosystems.

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