Oceania Cruise ship
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Oceania Cruises’ Nautica evaded pirates in the narrow Gulf of Aden between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea on Nov. 30, when two skiffs were sighted among some harmless fishing vessels. The skiffs tried to intercept the ship and Captain Jurica Brajcic and his officers immediately began evasive maneuvers and outran them. One of the skiffs closed the range to about 300 yards and fired eight rifle shots in the direction of the Nautica before veering off.
No one onboard was harmed, and no damage was sustained. Nautica was sailing within the prescribed Maritime Safety Protection Area, which is patrolled by international anti-piracy task forces, and a French navy warship reportedly sent a helicopter to scare the pirates away.
This is the third time in recent years that pirates have targeted a cruise ship in these waters: Le Ponant was seized in April by Somali pirates with 30 crew members who were rescued after a week, and Seabourn Spirit charged and destroyed a pirate vessel during an attack in December 2005. Many cruise lines pass through the region.
www.oceaniacruises.com
