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Onlooker captures photo while strolling past 'mystery' yacht owned by wealthy family: 'Shouldn't exist'

"We should be doing the same."

Recently, in St. Petersburg, Florida, a 272-foot superyacht was spotted at the port's wharf near the local airport.

Photo Credit: Reddit

Recently, in St. Petersburg, Florida, a 272-foot superyacht was spotted at the port's wharf near the local airport. 

An observer captured a photo of the massive ship, known as M&EM, and posted it to the r/StPetersburgFL subreddit. 

Recently, in St. Petersburg, Florida, a 272-foot superyacht was spotted at the port's wharf near the local airport.
Photo Credit: Reddit

The OP referred to the yacht as a "mystery" since the owner's name remains a secret. 

"The Cayman Island-registered yacht reportedly has a crew of up to 19 to serve up to 12 guests (we saw 7 of the crew polishing an exterior staircase)," the OP wrote in the photo's caption. "M&EM has 175,000-liter fuel tanks, and her water tanks store around 39,000 litres of fresh water."

These statistics are startling because of how much pollution-emitting fuel, fresh water, and other resources the superyacht consumes during normal operation. 

Meanwhile, other bystanders have been spotting and calling out enormous yachts owned by the Abu Dhabi royal family, the richest person in Montana, and many other elite billionaires.  

For many people, over-the-top yachts highlight disturbing wealth disparities and a total disregard for the natural environment. The pollution generated by these unsettling status symbols is notorious for destroying marine ecosystems and wildlife habitats in their vicinity. 

By burning diesel fuel that releases carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides into the atmosphere, every superyacht excursion significantly contributes to the steady overheating of our planet. 

Reddit users are always quick to criticize billionaires' wasteful and excessive behavior when they see such superyacht posts, which helps to raise public awareness of the issue. 

"Nope, billionaires shouldn't exist," one Reddit user commented on the St. Petersburg post. "Any animal that lives in a community would reject a member who hoards all the resources for themselves. We should be doing the same."

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"So that's how you spend the money you don't pay in taxes," another Redditor wrote

"All money ain't good money," someone else added.

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