The 34.7m explorer-style motoryacht, Beluga, which was delivered by Moonen in 2006, is due to spend the next few months exploring the Great Barrier Reef and the east coast of Australia, before heading over to Papua New Guinea. Most of her charters are focused around the activities that this robust explorer offers. Beluga operates with her own 12m chase boat, which is equipped for diving, snorkelling and even spearfishing.

The clientele she tends to attract are people that are interested in these types of activities and that’s why she gained a lot of traction in the Great Barrier Reef and Papua New Guinea. Another feature of M/Y Beluga is the ‘grand crow’s nest’ which is a great place for whale watching and reef spotting.

Joachim Howard of Ocean Alliance explains, “the spotlight for chartering around Australia has become brighter because it has a lot more locally-based charter yachts that can compete on an international level.” The charter market continues to grow in Australia, and alongside it, there has been a surge in marketing. This has all combined to raise interest in visiting the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands, as unique superyachting experiences. Beluga is currently available for charter and there is no current plan to sell, despite what Howard claims is “a fair bit of interest”.