Todays updates on the Strait of Homuz and Bab-el-Mandab and all anchorages in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman........plus Mother Nature is causing problems for stranded ships and empty skies, spoofing and diversions
Mother Nature, it seems is getting her own back on the hundreds of stranded ships in the Persian Gulf. Heavy contamination from barnacles, jellyfish and algae is building on the hulls, propellers and inside the sea chests. This build up, over time, will slow the ships down when they do eventually move, contamination inside the sea chests that take water into the enginerooms and onboard desalination equipment will cause issues that will eventually damage those systems, sometimes rendering them inoperable. There is also the potential cross-contamination of algae and creatures moving from one area into another that might not have that specific variety. Ecologically speaking significant damage can be done when a ship passes from one area to another if that ship has excessive invasive species on the hull or within the stern / bow thrusters and sea chests.
According to the Financial Times, at least 800 merchant ships remain stranded in Gulf waters after fighting broke out on February 28, leaving around 20,000 seafarers on board carrying out basic maintenance as they wait.
But long periods at anchor in the Gulf’s warm, shallow waters are now creating a fresh operational challenge.
“When you don’t move… you have a lot of fouling growing,” said Lasse Kristoffersen, chief executive of Wallenius Wilhelmsen, which has one ship currently stuck in the Gulf.
Marine growth such as barnacles, algae and jellyfish can clog protective gratings and interfere with pipe systems.
It can also attach to ship hulls and propellers, creating drag that slows vessels down and increases fuel use.
Also with the heat increasing as summer establishes, that will take its toll on the crew....it has already been explained how difficulties in getting fresh water, fresh food are causing problems, as the weather gets hotter those problems will inevitably multiply.
The longer ships remain stranded, the greater the pressure on crews.
Seafarers told industry groups they are struggling to get replacement parts for broken systems because ship owners are finding it difficult to arrange transport to vessels waiting offshore.
Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India, said one ship had been waiting 15 days for a replacement GPS part that would normally have arrived within one or two days.
“In this situation the owners are not feeling comfortable to find a charter boat to take the material up to anchorage,” he said.
Yadav said the psychological strain on crews is also growing after some have spent more than 70 days on stationary ships.
“Their mind is upset because there is no job on board… It’s a kind of jail for them,” he said.
With Gulf summer heat intensifying and no clear resolution in sight, shipping companies are now dealing with an unusual reality: ships that are not moving are slowly becoming harder to move.
More on this :
Ships stuck in Gulf face barnacles, jellyfish threat: Reports (Gulf News - May 21, 2026)
Commercial flights over Iran have dropped significantly with aircraft diverting to avoid Iranian airspace, especially where threats of further attack exist
Commercial air traffic over Iran has thinned dramatically, reviving fears of a possible new military escalation in the Middle East even as regional powers intensify diplomatic efforts to salvage fragile negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
The unusually empty skies above Iran — coupled with widespread electronic navigation disruptions reported in the Arabian Gulf — have triggered speculation among military observers and analysts that preparations for possible strikes may already be underway.
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Marine and aviation monitoring platforms, including MarineTraffic and Flightradar24, have shown what analysts described as large-scale AIS and transponder spoofing activity northwest of Dubai.
Hundreds of ships and aircraft appeared to transmit false or overlapping location data simultaneously, creating confusion across tracking systems.
Electronic warfare specialists say such spoofing can occur during periods of heightened military tension, though experts cautioned that similar disruptions may also result from defensive countermeasures, cyber activity or regional military exercises.
No government has publicly linked the spoofing activity to an imminent strike.
At the same time, diplomatic efforts to prevent another conflict have intensified.
According to Axios, regional mediators including Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt have been working to bridge gaps between US and Iranian negotiators.
More on this :
'Spoofing': Empty skies over Iran fuel fears of new strikes as Trump says nuclear talks near ‘collapse’ (Gulf News - May 21, 2026)
Onto the Strait, ports and anchorages.....
There is a fair amount of ship movements for the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-Mandab Strait is running freely
Therer has been one report of suspicious activity off Socotra
The ports and anchorages of Doha, Damamm, Al Faw and Kuwait are still very congested and busy
Clusters of ships still present off the UAE ports and they still have their herders milling around them
Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and Dibba ports and anchorages have thinned down again today with most shipos now off Al Widiyyat, Liwa and Sohar
Still no updates on the remaining crew of CMA CGM San Antonio
That's all for today...back tomorrow