Photo Gallery Danger on the High Seas
A Saudi oil tanker called the Sirius Star was boarded by armed Somali pirates on speedboats on Sunday. The speedboats hurried out to the open ocean with the help of "mother ships" carrying food and fuel.
An Indian frigate, the INS Tabar, has been busy in the region protecting Indian merchant vessels through the Gulf of Aden. The warship opened fire on a suspected pirate "mother ship" -- and sank it -- on Tuesday.
In April 2008, Somali pirates captured a French luxury yacht called Le Ponant. Here French troops board the ship on Zodiac boats.
The Faina, a Ukrainian ship loaded with tanks and other weapons bound for Sudan, was hijacked by Somali pirates on September 25, 2008. The kidnappers are still demanding a ransom.
The Delight was hijacked off the coast of Somalia Tuesday. Here, it is seen in Germany in October.
The pirates boarded the Faina on small speed boats and threatened the crew with weapons.
Some pirate arrests have been made. These Somali pirates were arraigned in a Kenyan court on Tuesday after they were captured by the British Navy while trying to highjack a vessel in the Indian Ocean.
Speed boats used by pirates are nimble and hard to catch. International navies also have trouble identifying pirates before they strike.
A whole generation of pirates has grown up in Somalia after the government failed in 1991. Fishing stocks have plummeted, and piracy holds the allure of potential wealth for many Somalis.
In this US Navy handout, the crew of the Faina stands on the deck of the ship allowing the Navy to check up on their health and well-being.
The Russian captain of the Faina, Vladimir Kolobkov, died of a heart attack shortly after his ship was taken.
