The Philippine delegation presenting the official copy of NAMRIA Chart No. 1567 entitled “Bajo de Masinloc and Approach” with DOALOS Deputy Director Alice Hicuburundi, centre left (DFA Philippines)

Scarborough Shoal and the Philippines’ Paper Trail in the South China Sea

Wreck of British Warship Cut in Two by Cruiser Found 118 Years Later

Published Aug 16, 2026 8:22 PM by The Maritime Executive

The wreck of a Royal Navy destroyer that sank after being cut in two by another warship during an exercise, killing 35 men, has been discovered some 118 years after the collision. HMS Tiger sank in the English Channel in 1908, and her wreck has now been found at a depth of 60 meters, not far from the Isle of Wight. Divers with ProjectXplore spent five years working through archival material in search of Tiger, the last missing British 30-knot...

The South African lease area covered part of the Orange Basin, a geological region where Shell has had success on the Namibian side of the boundary line, above (Press handout courtesy Odfjell)

Top Court Ends Shell's South African Wild Coast Offshore Lease

Published Aug 16, 2026 7:53 PM by The Maritime Executive

Last Friday, oil major Shell lost a long-running court battle over its offshore oil and gas exploration plans for a frontier region off South Africa's "Wild Coast," an unspoiled stretch of coastline that provides habitat for migrating humpback whales. Environmental groups (including Greenpeace) began suing Shell back in 2021 in an attempt to stop seismic surveying off the Wild Coast, asserting that it would be harmful to whales and to commercial fishermen. Shell countered that its plans were compliant with...

SeaLead was used by Iranian sanctions-busting networks but appeared legitimate, even running sailings to Jacksonville with its 6,661 TEU container ship Hakuna Matata (JAXPORT press handout, 2022)

For Iran's Ruling Families, Corruption and Blockade Busting Run Deep

Published Aug 16, 2026 7:03 PM by The Maritime Executive

A new investigation using covert tip-offs from disgruntled insiders within Iran has revealed further connections between close relatives of hardline Iranian political leaders and the sanctions-busting activities from which they personally profit, often at the expense of the Iranian state. US Treasury sanctions notifications have highlighted the activities of two particularly famous “nepo” sons of prominent Iranian hardliners: Mohammed Hossein Shamkani, son of the late Iranian National Security Advisor Ali Shamkani; and Babak Zanjani, who is intermarried both with the...

Russian Escort Accused of Killing Senior Russian Navy Officer in Sevastopol

Published Aug 16, 2026 5:20 PM by The Maritime Executive

Russian authorities have arrested a Russian escort and accused her of killing a Russian Navy officer, ex-Ukrainian Navy defector Robert Shageev. Margarita Reut, 32, was detained in Sevastopol in connection with a covert attack. According to Russian accounts, on August 13 she placed a bomb in a trash bin on Stoljetovs'kyi (Stoletovsky) Avenue in anticipation that Shageev would walk past it. Shageev came down a flight of steps, accompanied by a friend, and the bomb detonated when he came near....

Shipping

Will Chinese Oil Imports Rebound After the Iran War?

For several decades, there has been one reliable growth engine for oil demand in the world: China. China’s massive growth in oil demand in the early 2000s was the primary driver of the tanker super cycle that lasted from roughly 2001 to 2009. It established China as the key driver of global oil and tanker demand. China has only limited domestic production and most of the oil needs to be imported, which is why tanker owners keep a close eye...

Tugs & Salvage

South Australia Sinks Historic Grab Dredger as Artificial Reef

A 64-year-old vessel that supported artificial reef installations in Australian waters is preparing to be sunk to become an artificial reef and a recreational dive site, part of a program to restore biodiversity. The MV Andrew Wilson, a 40-meter grab hopper dredger built in 1962, is set to be turned into an artificial reef in shallow water about six kilometers off the coast of Brighton in Gulf St Vincent. She will be the first vessel scuttled in South Australian waters...

Government

Famous Museum Ship USS New Jersey Gets $24M in Upgrades

More than 80,000 people visit the battleship USS New Jersey each year, and her namesake state is investing $24 million in a redevelopment project designed to make that experience better. The Iowa-class New Jersey is one of the most decorated battleships in U.S. Navy history, having earned distinctions in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and conflicts in the Middle East. She was launched on the first anniversary of Pearl Harbor and went on...

Corporate News

Diversified Marine Completes M/V Edwin Rider for Vulcan Materials

[By: Laborde Products] Diversified Marine has completed construction of the M/V Edwin Rider, a new inland towboat built for Vulcan Materials. Constructed at the company's shipyard in Bourg, Louisiana, the vessel is designed to support daily operations on the inland waterways with a dependable propulsion package built for long-term service. The M/V Edwin Rider measures 72 feet in length with a 30-foot beam and a 10-foot hull depth. The twin-screw propulsion package features two Mitsubishi S6R2-Y3 Tier 3 engines, each...

Cruise Ships

Crystal Cruises Finalizes Order with Fincantieri for Third Luxury Ship

Crystal Cruises finalized the order with Fincantieri for a third luxury cruise ship as the brand continues its revitalization under the ownership of A&K Travel Group (Abercrombie & Kent). Planning for the new cruise ships had been underway since the brand returned to operations in 2023, and a memorandum of agreement was signed in 2024 that called for two new cruise ships with an option for a third. Construction for the first of the three ships began in May 2026...

Ports

Hawaii's Ports Prepare for Tropical Storm Lala

Tropical Storm Lala is approaching Hawaii and shaping up to turn into a Category 1 hurricane, and the U.S. Coast Guard is taking steps to make sure that harbors and mariners are ready. Effective Friday night and Saturday morning, the Coast Guard is shutting down ports across the island chain in preparation for the storm's arrival. Port condition Zulu will be set for all of Hawaii's counties by 0800 local time Saturday morning. The declaration requires vessels of 200 GT...

Shipping

Will Chinese Oil Imports Rebound After the Iran War?

Tugs & Salvage

South Australia Sinks Historic Grab Dredger as Artificial Reef

Government

Famous Museum Ship USS New Jersey Gets $24M in Upgrades

Corporate News

Diversified Marine Completes M/V Edwin Rider for Vulcan Materials

Cruise Ships

Crystal Cruises Finalizes Order with Fincantieri for Third Luxury Ship

Ports

Hawaii's Ports Prepare for Tropical Storm Lala

Offshore

Top Court Ends Shell's South African Wild Coast Offshore Lease

Shipbuilding

Austal USA Delivers First LCU for the U.S. Navy

Defense shipbuilder Austal USA has delivered its first landing craft for the U.S. Navy, the first ever steel-hull vessel that the company has completed and delivered to its primary customer. “The delivery of LCU 1710 represents a major achievement for Austal USA and our shipbuilding team,” said Gene Miller, President of Austal USA. “It also demonstrates Austal USA’s ability to skillfully design, build and deliver highly complex steel vessels while continuing to support the Navy’s evolving mission requirements.” LCU 1710...

Environment

Clear offender: a Chinese distant-water fishing vessel caught with illegal drift net gear at a position off Japan, 2008 (USCG file image)

Study: Wealthy Countries Fuel Illegal Fishing in Poor Countries

Consumers in wealthy nations are fueling a rampant illegal fishing trade that has become a multibillion-dollar industry, and the majority of the catch originates in the waters of poor countries, according to a comprehensive study from Canada’s University of British Columbia. Fishing is a socioeconomic lifeline for most coastal communities across the globe, with about 3.5 million fishing vessels plying the world’s oceans, providing livelihoods and food for millions. But the world seems to have resigned itself to being unable...

Business

For Iran's Ruling Families, Corruption and Blockade Busting Run Deep

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Scarborough Shoal and the Philippines’ Paper Trail in the South China Sea

Wreck of British Warship Cut in Two by Cruiser Found 118 Years Later

Top Court Ends Shell's South African Wild Coast Offshore Lease

For Iran's Ruling Families, Corruption and Blockade Busting Run Deep

Russian Escort Accused of Killing Senior Russian Navy Officer in Sevastopol

Will Chinese Oil Imports Rebound After the Iran War?

South Australia Sinks Historic Grab Dredger as Artificial Reef

Famous Museum Ship USS New Jersey Gets $24M in Upgrades

Diversified Marine Completes M/V Edwin Rider for Vulcan Materials

Crystal Cruises Finalizes Order with Fincantieri for Third Luxury Ship

Hawaii's Ports Prepare for Tropical Storm Lala

A Mediterranean Residence Worth Pursuing for American Families

The Future of Fleet Efficiency is Stacked Optimization

The New Normal for Hull Husbandry: A Continuous Hull Record

Will Chinese Oil Imports Rebound After the Iran War?

South Australia Sinks Historic Grab Dredger as Artificial Reef

Famous Museum Ship USS New Jersey Gets $24M in Upgrades

Diversified Marine Completes M/V Edwin Rider for Vulcan Materials

Crystal Cruises Finalizes Order with Fincantieri for Third Luxury Ship

Hawaii's Ports Prepare for Tropical Storm Lala

Top Court Ends Shell's South African Wild Coast Offshore Lease

Austal USA Delivers First LCU for the U.S. Navy

Study: Wealthy Countries Fuel Illegal Fishing in Poor Countries

For Iran's Ruling Families, Corruption and Blockade Busting Run Deep

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events