Pirates do attack cargo vessels and oil tankers, so its only natural to wonder: If you're on a cruise ship that passes through the Gulf of Aden (or other high-risk areas), what is the likelihood that pirates will attack? Precisely speaking, when an attack is for religious or political gain, the term terrorism is widely used. Piracy takes place when the motive is strictly for financial gain pirates try to board ships with the intention of robbing them or holding the crew or passengers hostage for ransom. Waters become international past the 12th nautical mile of territorial jurisdiction, and the prescribed Maritime Safety Protection Area is lawfully patrolled by international anti-pirate taskforces.īut there's another distinction between piracy and terrorism. Related: What Is a Cruise to Nowhere, and Why Aren't They Allowed From U.S. What's the difference between an act of terrorism and piracy? According to international law, it is a crime of piracy when an act is committed within international waters and, thereby, outside the territorial jurisdiction of any given nation. What Are Pirates, and How Do They Differ From Terrorists? Piracy warnings are also meted out in parts of the Red Sea and along both the eastern and northeastern coasts of Africa.īut it's important to know this: Cruise lines have prepared for many challenging scenarios, and ships are well-equipped to handle situations when pirates attack cruise ships. Other hot zones include Asia (particularly in the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Singapore), the Somali Coast and the Amazon River. Though the majority of concerns currently pertain to the Gulf of Aden, pirates can strike almost anywhere, at any time.
It wasn't until the early 2000s that we were made aware of their efforts to attack cruise ships. And they strike often - far more often than most realize. Still, pirates today evoke the same fears as they did in ancient times. Whether or not the poor ever see a dime is unknown. Supposedly, these pirates seek to act as modern-day Robin Hoods, distributing wealth from the hands of the rich to those of the poor by capturing vessels and holding onboard personnel for ransom.
Instead the role has been filled by angry young men carrying guns, rifles, grenades and missiles. Gone are the Blackbeards, Captain Kidds and other one-eyed, hook-handed robbers who plundered ships of yore. Burnett probes this dangerous world of thievery and mayhem, from the life-and-death struggles of brave captains and their crews, to the pirate hunters with bounties on their heads, and to the shadowy groups themselves who employ these ruthless, modern-day mercenaries.Ī dauntless investigation into a chilling phenomenon, Dangerous Waters is an epic, breathtaking modern tale of the sea.Never has there been a yawning void in pirate attacks on the seas, but pirate activity has slowed a bit in recent years. Entire ships, cargo, and crews simply vanish, hijacked by pirates working for multinational crime syndicates these modern-day ghost ships turn up later carting illegal immigrants to the United States or running drugs. Armed with machetes, assault rifles, and grenade launchers, they steal out in speedboats and fishing boats in search of supertankers, cargo ships, passenger ferries, cruise ships, and yachts, attacking them at port, on the open seas, and in international waters. Unlike the romantic images from yesteryear of Captain Hook, Long John Silver, and Blackbeard, they can be local seamen looking for a quick score, highly trained guerrillas, rogue military units, or former seafarers recruited by sophisticated crime organizations. Today's breed of pirates are not the colorful cutthroats painted by the history books. Dangerous Waters charts the resurgence of piracy in recent years and reveals why it poses a significant threat to our safety and security. Through sheer ingenuity and a little bit of luck, he survived, and his shocking firsthand experience became the inspiration for this book. While sailing alone one night in the shipping lanes across one of the busiest waterways in the world, John Burnett was attacked by pirates.
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