Piracy, the act of robbery committed at sea, has been around since the 1700’s, but only in the past two decades has it been making a steady comeback. Bimini, a small island off the coast of Florida and measuring 700 feet in length, was and still is a hotbed for smugglers and pirates. According to Jeff Pearlman of The Wave Magazine, pirates can be classified into three categories:

1) Fisherman who work by day and pirate ships by night for their catch and loot

2) The Professionals who take over the ship, loot the cargo, but don’t kill the crew.

3) Organized Crimers who take the ship and cargo, kill the crew, take the boat to port and re-register and sell the ship for profit.

Today piracy is a growing problem with a worldwide loss of approximately 16 billion dollars per year, and Bimini is once again becoming a prime location for this activity. In the past thirteen years, pirate attacks worldwide have tripled due to the increased demand for international shipping. Increased patrol of US waters and the Caribbean by the United States Coast Guard is helping to eradicate piracy in the nearby waters, but the growing number of smugglers and their small-scale tactics are making it a difficult feat to overcome.

Modern day pirates also have a surplus of newer, more destructive weapons at their disposal. According to Wikipedia, pirates today “…use a great deal of technology. It has been reported that the crimes of piracy have involved the use of mobile phones, modern speedboats, AK-47s, shotguns, pistols, mounted machine guns and even rocket propelled grenades. There is also speculation that modern pirates eavesdrop on satellite communication networks such as Inmarsat to determine cargo and the degree of risk involved with an operation.”

While some pirating is done for the ships and to gain cargo, Bimini’s main attraction for pirates is to gain access to smaller speed boats in order to smuggle illegal substances into the U.S. Being that Bimini is only 50 miles from the Florida coast, it makes for an invaluable spot for smugglers to use as a stopping point. And it’s been that way for centuries. Bimini was a hotspot for legends such as Captain Henry Morgan and Blackbeard who used the island to store loot and as a capture point for looting merchant ships. Today Bimini is a large tourist spot boasting top fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling and an active nightlife. However; the large uninhabited areas on the island provide a perfect place to hide cargo and other loot with little disturbance.

Piracy may seem to be something of the past, but it is a proving to be a thriving business at sea. Bimini may seem like a local, touristy, sleepy Caribbean island, but with its close proximity and obvious convenience, it will continue to be a hotbed for modern day piracy, looting and drug smuggling.

A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Lauren Fairbanks

Labels: LaurenFairbanks