Onlooker shares head-turning photos of colossal yachts in exotic locale: 'Anyone recognize them?'

A Reddit user captured photos of some massive yachts off the coast of Saint-Tropez in France. Sharing them with the subreddit r/yachtporn prompted some disgruntled responses.

"Pics are a bit blurry, but I captured these monsters outside of St. Tropez a few days ago. Anyone recognize them?" the original poster asked.

While the yachts may be impressive technical marvels, they can pose significant threats to the ocean and the environment more broadly. — Photo Credit: Reddit

Users seemed to identify one of the ships as the megayacht Kaos, owned by Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie. The second ship appears to be Ahpo, a 115-meter superyacht built by Lürssen.

Some commenters evidently found the yachts to be excessive in their extravagance, particularly the ship owned by Laurie, who has previously come under fire for the vessel. In 2023, members of the environmental group Futuro Vegetal spray-painted Kaos, with some holding a sign that read "You Consume Others Suffer."

An environmental group's interest in calling out the use of a megayacht makes sense: The luxury vessels can release thousands of tons of planet-warming gases into the atmosphere each year.

"Just think, Nancy Walton Laurie, the owner of the yacht, inherited only [a fraction] of the wealth of the family that owns Walmart," one user commented.

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"Absolutely ridiculous," said another.

While the yachts may be impressive technical marvels, they can also pose significant threats to the ocean and the environment more broadly. A superyacht can produce up to 1,500 times the pollution that a normal car releases in a year.

The continued use of massive yachts is a hot topic among environmental advocates who see them as little more than a way to flaunt wealth while emitting heat-trapping pollution.

Understanding the damage that these huge vessels can cause when they're powered by dirty energy has the potential to drive smarter regulations and support a healthy environment for everyone.