At Sea

Seychelles and Somalia: Pirates Roam Far into Indian Ocean to Take Ships

Date: October 29th, 2009 |

Piracy off the Horn of Africa and in the nearby Indian Ocean is not news, but a British couple learned recently that any size vessel is a potential target when they and their 38-foot yacht sailing in Seychelles seas was taken by pirates for ransom. Somali pirates have extended their reach from the Horn of [read more]

Horn of Africa: Somali Pirates Attack Cruise Ship

Date: December 3rd, 2008 |

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Pirates attacked but failed to capture or damage a luxury cruise ship in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast Nov. 30. The Nautica, operated by Oceania Cruises, Inc. of Miami, sped away from the pirates’ speedboats after the marauders fired eight rifle shots at the ship. The area where the Nautica was cruising [read more]

At Sea

Date: October 30th, 2001 |

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Piracy continues to be a significant problem for shipping lines and smaller craft throughout the world. According to the International Chamber of Commerce’s Maritime Bureau, the worst places for piracy today are Bangladesh, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, the Malacca Straits between Malaysia and Sumatra, and the southern end of the Red Sea. Other dangerous areas include [read more]

Somali Piracy: Surge of Attacks in Indian Ocean near Somalia

Date: April 8th, 2009 |

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Somali pirates seized five ships in 72 hours in the Indian Ocean, moving their main area of operations out of the Gulf of Aden to avoid international naval patrols. A French yacht carrying five tourists off the coast of Somalia was taken as well as a former oceanographic research vessel converted to a live-aboard dive [read more]

Ecuador: Pirates Prowl Waters off Ecuador’s Coast

Date: November 26th, 2008 |

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The U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil warned travelers of a recent armed robbery at sea and urged citizens sailing off Ecuador’s coast to travel in convoys, sail out of view of land and always maintain good communications. The incident occurred off the coast of Ensenada de Pedernales, Manabi and emphasized the risks of maritime travel [read more]