The Golden Odyssey, built in Hamburg, Germany at the Blohm & Voss yard, was delivered in 1990 to Saudi Arabia’s Prince Khaled bin Sultan. At that time, the Prince was his country’s assistant deputy defense minister. He was then and still is president of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, which funds coral reef research. The Prince has frequently lent the Golden Odyssey to oceanographers for the research of ways to save our oceans and coral reefs.

The Golden Odyssey, however, isn’t your standard research yacht! Stretching out to 265 feet, she is sleek and deceptively simple looking. Inside, the yacht has a fairly traditional interior designed by Albert Pinto, using dark wood and marble in its sumptuous public and private rooms.

Golden Odyssey is nearly always accompanied by her support yacht, Golden Shadow, her fishing vessel the Golden Osprey and Golden Eye, a roomy sea plane. Golden Shadow carries extra equipment, water sports toys and extra medical facilities among other necessities the Odyssey and her guests may need.

Golden Odyssey contains an astonishing coral reef aquarium, its glass top serving as the bottom of the ship’s swimming pool, giving swimmers the illusion that they are actually in the aquarium!

The Panorama Deck contains the owner’s private lounge, a large Jacuzzi and a hydraulic sun shade. A huge, elegant main staircase connects three of the decks but there is also an elevator that goes to all four. The yacht has an updated fitness room, a traditional main salon furnished with comfortable sofas and a piano, a small sitting room for playing cards or relaxing and a mosaic swimming pool atop the coral reef aquarium. The stylish dining room seats 18.

The Golden Odyssey comes equipped with a medical center capable of major surgery and a price tag of $70 million. It is also available for charter.

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