Aussie Pensioners Firght Off Pirates / Fake Pic?

Pirates must be the new comedy sidekick for terrorists...


Aus Pensioners Fight off Pirates

Sorry if this has already been reported

British Pensioners Scare Off Pirates

Look at this picture pulled from the above web site:



To me it looks like two model ships. It's nothing tangible that I can pick out straight away (although the water looks just plan wrong for that scale), the photo just screams fake to me.

Anyone else like to comment?

It very well could be a composite of two file photo's chopped together to get a picture for the article. though blown up it appears you can see people on the deck of the frigate so I doubt a amodel was used, also the foam in the bow wake seems about right.

Originally posted by shamus78
Pirates must be the new comedy sidekick for terrorists...


Aus Pensioners Fight off Pirates

Sorry if this has already been reported

British Pensioners Scare Off Pirates

Look at this picture pulled from the above web site:



To me it looks like two model ships. It's nothing tangible that I can pick out straight away (although the water looks just plan wrong for that scale), the photo just screams fake to me.

Anyone else like to comment?

Who is taking that picture of them about to be attacked ????

And yes it does look somewhat fake.

no the photo is not of them being attacked

the photo is of the cruise liner being escorted by a friendly Spanish flagged vessel

plz look at the photo closer, it is not models of ships hehe

although i do agree the perspective is off in this photo, it is indeed real

look at the water more closely and the wake of the ships

defiantly a real picture, and being in the RAN, I have seen the ocean like that on many occasions.

The military ship in the photo is the Spanish Oiler Marques de la Ensenada.

Looks like the photo was taken from the helo of the Oiler

The reported pirate attack on a cruise ship carrying mostly retired people, including many Australians, did happen.

The pirates were successfully fought off.

The first person to have fought them off, according to an early report I read, was an elderly woman who saw the pirates climbing up ropes they had thrown up. She called for help while she threw plastic deck-chairs down at the pirates. Soon she was joined by male passengers who threw plastic tables down.

Eventually the ship's security, Israelis who were hired because the captain believed Israelis would be so great at protecting the ship, were summoned and the Spanish frigate shown in the photo, (possibly taken from a news helicopter) was alerted and came to escort the ship.


Never underestimate the power of the individual.
Anyone, even an elderly lady on a cruise, can make a difference.


The clarity of that photo does make the ships look like toys, but that just shows the conditions were clear with a low humidity.
The angle and lack of movement show it was done with a very fast camera, most likely by a professional photographer, from a helicopter.






[edit on 23/5/09 by Kailassa]

Yeah that is right, pirates must be the new comedy sidekick for terrorists... this is a new world could be...

msc melody has a cruising speed of 18 knots . possible 23 knots at full throttle. you got to be brave or desperate to try and board a large vessel at speed. the vessel in the fore ground looks like a fleet tender and are usually only lightly armed. the picture i would think was taken by the tenders helo. as this ship can have a compliment of three seakings. what is worrying is that the vessel was attacked 6,000 miles from the somalie coast . attacks far from shore are becoming more frequent, possible in response to the international naval presence closer to the somalie coast. my own opinion is despite claims of revenge of toxic dumping off the coast , the pirates are being driven by somalie war lords.
for the safety of the crews ransoms are being payed to release them and the vessels . were talking millions of dollars . and it doesnt look like the money is being shared about amongst the fisherman/villages. old maggie thatcher had a zero tolerance with regards to terrorism and it worked . after the embasy siege in london no terrorist would go near britsh investments . unfortunatley the pc brigade stepped in and it all went to rat #. there is a massive naval presence in the gulf of aden and the somalie coast and yet piracy is still on the increase.
www.shipping.nato.int...



www.shipping.nato.int...