According to Luxury Launches, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Al Nahyan royal family of Abu Dhabi, has added luxury liner (and world's most expensive charter) the Flying Fox to his yacht fleet. In addition to his latest acquisition, Sheikh Mansour also owns the superyacht Blue and the A+, with the total fleet being worth $1.5 billion.

The price of upkeep for this fleet weighs in at $150 million a year, or roughly a little over $400,000 a day. The latest addition, the Flying Fox, is actually the smallest of the yachts, as it only sleeps 25 people, compared to A+, which accommodates 62, and Blue, which can accommodate 48. However, each boasts salons, spas, helipads, cinemas, pools, and more. 

Yachts and superyachts, like the ones comprising this fleet, may be used by the extremely rich as status symbols, but these boats are also symbols of waste, pollution, and disregard for the environment. 

Currently, there are approximately 5,396 superyachts in the world, with the top 300 of these being responsible for a whopping total of 285,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. As carbon dioxide is one of the most consequential polluting gases trapping heat in our atmosphere, the amount of carbon dioxide these luxury vessels emit significantly contributes to the overheating of our planet.

Carbon dioxide isn't the only pollution yachts and superyachts create, though. These massive boats contribute to light and noise pollution that disturbs both marine life and people on shore. They're also responsible for creating substantial food and plastic waste while at sea. 

Additionally, these vessels are often made with non-renewable materials, consume massive amounts of gas while in use, and release their wastewater into the ocean, harming marine life and plants.

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As a Redditor pointed out on a post about a yacht owned by another member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, "After spending six months in the Mediterranean, an Abu Dhabi royal tanked up his $450 million megayacht with $700,000 worth of fuel, but the yacht is such a guzzler that even the 500 tons of fuel won't be enough to complete its 5,800-mile journey to the UAE."

While yachting has taken a turn toward making boats more sustainable via hybrid propulsion systems, the use of sustainable building materials, and green water treatment systems, the industry still has a way to go. Until then, the fewer yachts on the seas, the better.

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