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A billionaire hopes to change our understanding of sea life and save the oceans with a research vessel straight out of ‘Star Trek’

September 2, 20240
The helicopter approaches the OceanXplorer off the coast of Svalbard.

Mario Tadinac/National Geographic

Billionaire Ray Dalio bought the boat in 2016. It was an oil ship at the time and he and his son Mark Dalio spent the next four years transforming it into a one-of-a-kind research vessel capable of real-time scientific analysis. Experts from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution consulted to ensure scientists would have everything they needed on board.

For example, it might take a typical research vehicle several years to get DNA sequencing results back and then return to the same location equipped with that data.

With OceanXplorer’s onboard lab, researchers can collect samples, process the data in real-time, and then make informed decisions based on what they find.

“We feel like it’s a lot more efficient,” said Mark Dalio, co-CEO of OceanX, the company that owns OceanXplorer.

It’s helping scientists solve some of the sea’s greatest mysteries.
Eric Stackpole holds a camera tag for sharks on the OceanXplorer.

Mario Tadinac/National Geographic

On board, scientists can use the four labs to analyze samples, sequence DNA, and study specimens. Meanwhile, ROVs explore the deep; sonar maps the seafloor; and a sampling tool measures the water’s temperature, pressure, and salinity.

“I think the most unique kind of throughline is the cross-disciplinary nature of the ship,” Mark Dalio said. Meaning researchers who study sharks, whales, squid, and polar bears can all make use of the vessel.

OceanX not only helps scientists reach locations from the subtropical Bahamas to freezing Svalbard, it brings along filmmakers and photographers to document the work as it’s taking place.

The National Geographic show highlights the work of researchers who used the ship’s helicopters to study polar bears‘ disappearing habitats and another group who dove deep in submersibles to study sperm whales’ prey.

“Ultimately, our goal is to help raise awareness of what this majority of our planet is like,” Stackpole said. “If you don’t understand it, you can’t affect it.”

Some of the technology feels like living in the future.
Asha de Vos and Eric Stackpole look at footage of humpback whales on the OceanXplorer.

National Geographic

The vessel was built for scientists, but it still has some amenities you might not typically find on a research ship.

“There was a drawer that was just filled with ice cream you could get whenever you want,” Stackpole said. “That felt like an indulgence for an open ocean expedition.”

It’s not quite like going on a luxury cruise, though. There’s room for about 72 people on board, but passengers have to share rooms with bunk beds.

The ship is supposed to look like something out of ‘Star Trek.’
The bridge of the OceanXplorer, an oil ship turned into a research vessel.

National Geographic/Mario Tadinac

Mark Dalio plans to keep the ship in Southeast Asian waters for the next five years. The Phillippines is a hot spot for a variety of marine life.

One goal is to learn more about the region’s biodiversity to help find ways to protect vulnerable species.

Techniques like whole genome sequencing will give scientists a clearer picture of what fish are present and what animals are eating them.

Other research will focus on gathering data to document climate change, studying coral reefs, and finding potential areas for preservation that could be used for carbon credits.

All this feeds into OceanX’s overarching goal, which is to foster the next generation of ocean scientists. “We need a next generation of ocean scientists and ocean storytellers,” Dalio said.