Prince William and his wife Kate formally named a new British polar research ship "Sir David Attenborough" on Thursday (September 26), a more dignified title than the public's choice of "Boaty McBoatface."
The humorous moniker was the most popular suggestion in an online poll that went viral in 2016, but the government opted to honour the naturalist and broadcaster Attenborough, who has become a campaigner on climate issues in his 10th decade.
As a consolation prize, the name Boaty McBoatface was instead given to a small, yellow autonomous underwater vehicle, capable of travelling long distances under the sea ice to collect data, which forms part of the ship's research equipment.
The ceremony to formally name the Sir David Attenborough took place at a shipyard in Birkenhead, northwest England, where the giant ice-breaker was built.
Operated by the publicly funded British Antarctic Survey, the Sir David Attenborough is 129 meters long and can break ice up to one meter thick at three knots (5.6 km per hour). It requires a crew of about 30, and can carry up to 60 scientists and support staff. It will conduct ice trials in the northern hemisphere from March 2020, and is scheduled to enter full service from October next year.
