Onlookers baffled as $500 million superyacht floats by in viral video: 'It's mind-blowing'

A video of a superyacht entering Dubai has sparked a conversation about the lifestyles of the ultra-rich. 

Posted on TikTok by Davide Cesaro (@theliving_man), the video shows the $500 million superyacht called Opera entering into the waters of Dubai. 

@theliving_man Impressive entrance in Dubai - $500 Million USD Mega Yacht "OPERA" #dubai #yacht #megayacht #superyacht ♬ Hoist The Colours - Bass Singers Version - The Wellermen

According to Luxury Launches, the yacht contains at least one swimming pool, garages for toys and tenders, and two helipads. It is also likely to contain 26 cabins for guests and a further 40 for crew. It is the tenth-largest yacht in the world and has been reportedly bought by a member of the royal family in Abu Dhabi. 

Superyachts like these are symbols of extreme luxury, but unfortunately, they come with a high environmental cost. Not only do these large yachts guzzle fuel but they also require a lot of energy to operate air conditioning and swimming pools. They also require a lot of staff to function and these staff sometimes need to be flown in to wherever the yacht is, further increasing pollution. 

The number of superyachts globally has more than doubled since 2000, and according to Oxfam, there are 150 new superyachts launched every year. The average annual carbon impact of each of these yachts is estimated to be 6,252 tons, which is equivalent to 860 years of pollution for the average person in the world per Oxfam. In addition to generating lots of heat-trapping planet-warming pollution, these yachts also pollute the oceans with fuel and waste and can destroy valuable seabed habitat. 

Owning a superyacht is probably one of the worst things a person can do for the climate, and it further exacerbates the damage that is already caused by the wealthiest 10%. Many commenters just couldn't believe that someone had enough money to buy and run one of these things.

"It's mind blowing that some people have that much throw away money," wrote one commenter. 

Another added, "For perspective, it would take most folks a lifetime of work to fuel up once."

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