Superyachts on voyages of scientific discovery 
Superyachts on voyages of scientific discovery 
Purpose

Superyachts on voyages of scientific discovery 

Learning, helping and exploring; the triple win for the new generation of yacht owners and charterers.

By Dominique Afacan | 22 October 2024

Every year between January and April, thousands of humpback whales migrate to Silver Bank in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a true spectacle, but one that few are fortunate enough to witness. As the largest whale breeding area in the world, lying 90kms north of the Dominican Republic, Silver Bank is a key marine sanctuary and only a handful of boats are ever able to get a permit. This year, however, a superyacht called Bering 92 Papillon was one of the lucky ones. Alexei Mikhailov – the CEO and founder of Bering Yachts – was on board. 

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he says. “You can’t stop watching because so much action is happening around you. You think you’ve seen everything and then, wow, another huge whale appears!” Alexei loaned Papillion – one of Bering’s sturdy explorers – for the four-day expedition via Yachts for Science, a not-for-profit platform that matches marine scientists with private vessels to carry out marine research. 

“Our boats are designed to go off-the-beaten-path, so if you’re capable of doing that, why not bring some meaning to it?” says Alexei. “In most cases this stuff is underfinanced and it’s hard for scientists to find a decent platform.” Rosie O’Donnell, project lead at Yachts for Science agrees. “The most significant challenge for marine scientists is access to the sea,” she says. “There is a huge lack of vessels available to marine researchers. By using superyachts that are already sailing, we can increase the amount of research being conducted today.” 

Superyachts on voyages of scientific discovery 
Superyachts on voyages of scientific discovery 

Feeding curiosity and giving back go hand in hand 

The benefits for the scientists are obvious – but for the owners of the yachts, the appeal is more nuanced. “Many boat owners are curious by nature,” explains Alexei. “When they buy a yacht, they have already shown that they want to do something that is out of the ordinary. But you don’t achieve anything simply by purchasing a yacht, that’s just the beginning of the journey. It’s all about finding purpose after buying the boat.” Enter Yachts for Science. 

Established in 2019, the platform was founded by UK charity Nekton, industry bible BOAT, the Ocean Family Foundation and expedition experts EYOS. “There are over 11,000 private yachts above 24 metres, which have spare berths, downtime, repositioning or dead-legs between personal use or charter that could be deployed to support vital research,” explains Rosie. “We have seen a surge in owners and charterers requesting scientists on-board in order to educate and give back.”

Superyachts on voyages of scientific discovery 
Superyachts on voyages of scientific discovery 

There are very real achievements to prove that the Yachts for Science model is working, from projects studying black coral in Raja Ampat and shark tagging in the Mediterranean to planting seagrass in the Solent and studying endangered oceanic manta rays in the Maldives. And there is more to come. Next up, Yachts for Science is collaborating with Mission Blue and the Blue Marine Foundation to embark on a groundbreaking research trip in southern Patagonia. “This mission aims to explore and document the scarcely surveyed offshore ecosystems, collecting critical baseline data to inform the creation of new marine protected areas,” says O’Donnell. High-level political officers will also join the expedition, encouraging discussions on expanding the Diego Ramírez – Drake Passage Marine Park. 

Superyachts on voyages of scientific discovery 
Superyachts on voyages of scientific discovery 

Hearing about scientific discoveries before anybody else 

For Alexei, having scientists on board enriched his on board experience beyond expectation. “When you invite scientists on board for an expedition like this, your travel suddenly has a purpose,” he explains. “I learned so much on mine. And when the scientists discover something, you’re there, you’re not just reading about it a year later. This is exciting for me.” After the Silver Bank trip,  the Dominican Republic announced an expansion to the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of Silver Banks. “We had the unique opportunity to be there and hear about it first because we collaborated with this scientific programme. It was the richest experience of my life on board.” says Alexei. 

Bering is already looking at future ways to collaborate with Yachts for Science. “This is just the beginning of many more projects that we’ll be working on together in future,” says Alexei. He believes these sorts of charters are growing and might at some point even dominate the market. “Owners want to find a purpose and help this planet at the same time,” he says.  

Yachts are extremely expensive to own and manage,” adds Rosie. “If you can increase the pleasure from the investment and use your yacht for good, that expenditure feels more rewarding.”

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