Almost everybody has heard about piracy off the Horn of Africa, or ships being attacked ships in the Indian Ocean.

While piracy has been a constant threat throughout maritime history, the face of piracy has also been constantly changing.

Pirates can be loosely defined in three groups: the mafia, the kidnappers, and the thieves.

Mafia pirates in Asia and West Africa hijack huge oil tankers, offload the crude oil for sale on the black market, and then release the ship and crew unharmed.

Somalian kidnappers violently take crews and ships hostage, then demand ransoms for their release.

Maritime thieves throughout the world quickly board vessels, mug the crew, and collect whatever valuables they can before making quick getaways.

Today’s interactive image shows you some of the most dangerous parts of the world’s oceans, including numbers of pirate attacks in these parts ranging from 1996 to 2014.

World Maritime News Staff; Data Source: Towergate Insurance