Residents sound off after mysterious superyacht is spotted in local harbor: 'Absolute unit of a vessel'

Locals in Halifax, Canada, tried to uncover the mystery owner of a superyacht that recently parked in the harbor.

"Whomst super yacht is this," someone posted to Reddit, sharing a photo of a massive ship. "... No name on the absolute unit of a vessel."

The 74-meter Amels boat was found to be dubbed M&EM, though the owner's name wasn't available. A commenter shared details on the yacht, which "features a distinctive royal blue hull and custom interiors by Winch Design, with its naval architecture handled by Damen Yachting."

"Where's a pod of Orcas when you need them?" someone else said. "Superyachts are more productive as artificial reefs."

Yachts are a notorious factor in the carbon footprint of the rich and famous. Oxfam reported in 2023 that the 1% richest people in the world were responsible for more pollution than 66% of the global population.

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich's yachts, for example, are estimated to emit over 22,000 tonnes (24,250 tons) of carbon annually, according to The Guardian. The stat reflects an impact larger than that of some small countries.

Canada has tried to curb the purchase and use of wasteful luxury cars, planes, and yachts with a 10% tax implemented in 2022. However, some wealthy Canadians instead opt to rent yachts from foreign owners to sidestep the responsibility.

Halifax was also recently visited by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling's superyacht, which was believed to be rented out at the time. Its presence received similar backlash.

The superyacht industry is late to the sustainability party, but recent advancements have attempted to address the global impact of these huge boats. The green methanol fuel cell system-powered 50Steel superyacht that debuted last year can create up to 100 kilowatts of clean energy, according to the yachtmaker in charge of the project.

While the mystery of the M&EM's owner may not have been solved, commenters still weighed in on the superyacht's visit to Halifax.

"I'm sure the city is making a killing off of the parking fee," one commenter said.

"Finders keepers?" another joked.

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