A cruise ship has successfully evaded an attack by pirates who opened fire on it in the Gulf of Aden.
The pirates were in two skiffs when they approached Oceania Cruise’s M/S Nautica at 5.28am yesterday as it sailed through the Gulf’s Maritime Safety Protection Area which is patrolled by international navies on anti-piracy duties.
The skiffs were about 1,000 metres distant when they attempted to intercept the ships course but were spotted by an on-duty officer. The Nautica’s captain immediately undertook evasive manoeuvres, speeding up and successfully escaping.
However, one of the pirate skiffs got within 300 yards of the ship and fired eight shots in its direction although none of them hit it.
An Oceania Cruise spokesman said: “All guests and crew onboard are safe and there were no injuries.
“All requisite international authorities have been notified and all anti-piracy precautions were in place prior to the event and all necessary measures were taken during the event.”
The Nautica is continuing its itinerary as planned and this morning safely docked in Salalah, Oman.