Somali pirate coast. See the building compounds where pirates and warlords cache arms, plan their attacks, obtain ransom, and communicate with the ships they seize offshore. View the actual pirate bases, vehicles, checkpoints, and pirate boats. Locate the precise areas of the sea where vessels are hijacked, and where the pirates drop anchor to hold their crews for ransom. Find secret airstrips where pirate crews get their daily fix of addictive khat leaf stimulant flown in. View the places where commandos have captured pirates fleeing or targeted their land-based resources.

Somalia Pirates Attack
This is the area of pirate hijackings, attacks, and attempted attacks on ships and yachts in the two major Pirate Attack Zones near the Horn of Africa: The Gulf of Aden Pirate Attack Zone off the Yemen coast, and The Mogadishu Pirate Attack Zone in the Indian Ocean off the southern Somali coast. The areas where the most famous hijacked vessels were attacked and held for ransom: MV Faina, LVCC Sirius Star Saudi Supertanker, and Le Ponant yacht.

For an UPDATE on the location of the Saudi Supertanker Sirius Star hijacking and ransom anchorage, please Click here: Saudi Supertanker Sirius Star update.

Click on each placemark for more details, and double-click to zoom in on each point of interest.

Researchers
Much more info is available to serious researchers. If you are in need of more in depth detailed resource information about this and other Somali pirate locations and maritime situations, you may contact the author of this message by sending a private message directly through the google earth community's messaging method. Please indicate how best to contact you.

SOMALI STAY AWAY ZONE - Somalia Coastline
Mariner Warning: There is a recommended 300 nautical mile Minimum Transit Distance from the Somali coast for vessels not calling on Somali ports. The outline of the 200 nm area is clearly shown. However, pirates often attack vessels 300 nautical miles or more off the coast, particularly near Mogadishu. Since Gulf of Aden is only 170 nautical miles wide at its widest point, and as narrow as 100 nautical miles in other points, it is not possible to be at least 200 nautical miles from the northern Somali coast when transiting between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea or Indian Ocean. However, there is a recommended line of waypoints (not shown) adjacent to the Yemen coast for vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden.

GULF OF ADEN Pirate Attack Zone
Well over 90 vessels were attacked by Somali pirates in this area in 2008. The most likely mothership launch port for this part of the Gulf of Aden is Bosaso, Somalia. Vessels seized by pirates operating in this area are normally taken south around the Horn of Africa, to the Somali pirate coast along the Indian Ocean, and anchored near the ports there for ransom. Most of the Somali Pirate Attacks during 2008 were in the Gulf of Aden Pirate Zone.

MOGADISHU Pirate Attack Zone
At least 9 vessels were attacked by Somalia pirates in this area during April-September 2008. Mogadishu is the closest port to the Mogadishu Pirate Attack Zone, which extends in a radius eastward from this port approximately 100 to 600 nautical miles. Pirate attacks are launched with fast open boats attached to a larger pirate mothership, into the major shipping lane joining Europe with the various ports of Africa to the south. Vessels seized by pirates operating in this area are normally taken closer to the Somalia coast and anchored, then held for ransom.

EYL Pirate Ransom Zone
Eyl, Somalia is a main pirate port base in the Somalia region of Puntland. Area of ship ransom for ships seized in Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean near the Horn of Africa. When a pirated vessel arrives near Eyl, the pirates contact the base here by VHF marine radio. Pirates based in this town provide re-supply for food, weapons, and personnel reinforcements. The largest source of income in Eyl is ransom money and the pirates control the town. On 13 Feb 2008, missiles were launched against 3 pirate targets in Eyl by foreign naval forces, during the ransom of a ship here.

HOBYO Pirate Ransom Zone
Hobyo, Somalia (Obbia). Main pirate port home base in the Somalia region of Mudug. Many hijacked ships from the Gulf of Aden pirate zone are anchored near Hobyo. When a pirated vessel arrives within VHF radio range of Hobyo, pirates in small boats provide re-supply for food, weapons, and personnel reinforcements. The largest source of income in this Mudug region of Somalia is ransom money, and pirates control the town.

Harardhere Pirate Ransom Zone
Harardhere, Somalia. Main pirate base in the Somalia region of Galmudug. Many hijacked ships from the Gulf of Aden pirate zone are anchored along the coast, near Harardhere. Harardhere is not a port, it is 20km (13mi) from the coast. The nearby villages of El Ghan and Hinbarwaqo are ports comonly used by the Harardhere pirates in small boats to provide re-supply for food, weapons, and personnel reinforcements. The largest source of income in this region is ransom money, and pirates control the town.

MOGADISHU Pirate Mothership Home Port
Mogadishu, Somalia (Muqdisho). Port-of-call for Somali pirate motherships. A destination location for ransom payments, to free vessels and crews captured by pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The launches attached to the motherships can go ashore here and easily blend in with the local fishermen. After re-supply, the pirate mothership then moves about 250 nautical miles out into the Indian Ocean shipping lanes where they launch fast boats to hijack slower moving large commercial vessels, either for armed theft or to hold them for ransom. When ships are seized for ransom, the pirates often take the vessel up the coast of Somalia near the pirate home ports of Eyl or Hobyo, where they are anchored for re-supply with food and more pirates, until the ransom money arrives in Mogadishu or other locations in Somalia and the region. The city of Mogadishu is in ruins due to many years of war, and lack of a government for more than 17 years. Mogadishu has a major airport runway, but it is high risk location for foreigners. Large ships dock in the port, including international aid supply vessels carrying food and medicine, but are sometimes mobbed or robbed while the cargo is being unloaded.

AL MUKALLAH Pirate Mothership Supply Port
Al Mukallah, Yemen. Possible port for Somali pirate mothership re-supply. Closest port to the Gulf of Aden Pirate Zone. Most convenient place for pirates to launch direct attacks using fast motor launches, into the narrow major shipping lane joining Asia and Southern Africa with Europe. Direct attacks upon yachts perpetrated by groups of pirates in motor launches originating from Al Mukallah are common. Pirates may set up picket lines of several boats, stretched out like a net across the shipping lane. When a vessel passes through, the pirate boats attack in a group with automatic rifle fire while approaching at high speed. Pirate motherships are larger vessels that are capable of deep sea operation for extended time. They tow or carry the fast boats, long ladders, and grappling devices used by the pirates to seize a huge commercial vessel and board it. The small launches from a pirate mothership can dock at Al Mukallah and easily blend in with the local fishermen, gathering supplies. After re-supply, the mothership then moves further out into the shipping lanes where the fast boats attack vessels, either for armed theft or to hold them for ransom. When ships are seized for ransom, the pirates usually take the vessel to the coast of Somalia near the pirate home ports of Eyl or Hobyo, where they are re-supplied with food and more pirates until the ransom money arrives in Somalia.

BOSASO Pirate Mothership Supply Port
Bosaso, Somalia (Bossaso, Bosaaso). The major port on the Gulf of Aden, for the Puntland, Horn of Africa region, and a good port for Somali pirate mothership re-supply. Convenient place for pirates to launch attacks into the narrow major shipping lane joining Asia and Southern Africa with Europe. Fast open boats attached to the motherships can dock here and easily blend in with the local fishermen. After re-supply, the mothership then moves out adjacent to the shipping lanes where the pirate launches set up a picket line to attack vessels, either for armed theft or to hold them for ransom. When ships are seized for ransom, the pirates usually take the vessel around the Horn of Africa southward to the pirate ransom anchorage ports, where they are re-supplied with food and more pirates until the ransom money arrives in a Somali city. Direct attacks on yachts by groups of fast open boats originating from this port are common. Captured yachts are also used as pirate decoys, with the pirates sending out false distress calls, or hailing passing boats to help them with a "failed engine" or "lack of water and food". Ransom hostages from small vessels may be held by pirates on land, and these hostages are sometimes taken to Bosaso after being released by pirates operating in the Puntland region.

ALULA Pirate Refuge Port
Alula (Qalula or Calula or Caluula), Somalia. A small port of ransom and refuge for Somali pirates with seized vessels from the Gulf of Aden. Pirates headed for the main pirate home port base in Eyl, Somalia can use this port for re-supply. Smaller yachts are brought here and the crews taken ashore to be held for ransom. Alula is one of the few coastal villages in this area with a relatively good flat dirt airstrip, approximately 0.5km southwest of the port.

Map Details and Sources
Over 80 new exact locations vividly showing present-day pirate activities and resources on the Somali Pirate Coast, in the Horn of Africa. Many of these geographic coordinates have never been exactly pinpointed before.
This file is the product of extensive independent research using maps, charts, and reports beginning in year 1860 through late 2008. Sources include non-governmental, UN, governmental, maritime organisations, newspapers, broadcasts, private reports, internet, international, local, Somaliland, Puntland, and Somalia. Over 120 updated placemarks. Information and coordinates have been gathered from many news sources, maritime organisations, governments, insurance companies, and mariner reports. This includes location and background data extracted by researching a sampling of more than 60 armed pirate attacks during February-October 2008. Although each one of the pirate attacks is individually not predictable, one can easily see some very strong statistical probability trends in pirate operations. Locate tiny fishing villages with obscure hard-to-spell names, where pirates often seek refuge or re-supply. View the coastal towns and villages, including the various spellings of all their alternative names in Somali, English, Italian, and Arabic. Some of these were marked vaguely on maps during the days when cartographers lacked today's aerial/satellite imaging detail. Cities, major shipping ports, airport runways, roads, crossroads, markets, dirt airstrips. Journalists and researchers can use this information to track the movements of the world's most prolific pirates, in this lawless area of hostility, hunger, and human suffering.

This information and file has been posted in an effort to help people, and help mariners avoid bad situations.


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