What the Ship (Ep136) | Venezuela | S. China Sea | Yemen | Thailand | Bananas | Updates | Black Sea

What the Ship (Ep 136) | US Intercepting Venezuelan Tankers | China and Philippines confrontation in the West Philippine Sea | Piracy in the Red Sea | Cambodia and Thailand | Bananas Wash Ashore in England | Updates on MSC Baltic III and ONE Henry Hudson | The Black Sea Blows Up, AGAIN!
December 16, 2025

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano — a maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner — discusses the top Five Maritime Stories as of December 16, 2025.

#supplychain #venezuela #china #philippines #piracy #redsea #cambodia #thailand #bananas #mscbalticIII #onehenryhudson #blacksea #ukraine #russia

Support What's Going on With Shipping via:
Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping
Twitter: @mercoglianos
Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social
Facebook: @wgowshipping
Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com

Marine Traffic
www.marinetraffic.com

00:00 Introduction

01:02 1. Venezuela
Tankers U-Turn After U.S. Seizure of Venezuelan Oil Cargo
https://gcaptain.com/tankers-u-turn-after-u-s-seizure-of-venezuelan-oil-cargo/

Ghost Oil Ships Dock In Venezuela, Showing Challenge For US
https://gcaptain.com/ghost-oil-ships-dock-in-venezuela-showing-challenge-for-us/

U.S. Treasury Targets Maduro’s Inner Circle and Six Shipping Companies with Sweeping Sanctions
https://gcaptain.com/u-s-treasury-targets-maduros-inner-circle-and-six-shipping-companies-with-sweeping-sanctions/

Venezuelan Oil Stored at Sea Shields China as US Pressure Rises
https://gcaptain.com/venezuelan-oil-stored-at-sea-shields-china-as-us-pressure-rises/

Opinion: U.S. Squeeze on Venezuela Oil Won’t Create Global Crunch
https://gcaptain.com/opinion-u-s-squeeze-on-venezuela-oil-wont-create-global-crunch/

Tehran Revives Disputes in the Gulf to Boost Patriotic Support at Home
https://maritime-executive.com/article/tehran-revives-disputes-in-the-gulf-to-boost-patriotic-support-at-home

Iran Stops Stateless Tanker in Continuing Crackdown on Fuel Smuggling
https://maritime-executive.com/article/iran-stops-stateless-tanker-in-continuing-crackdown-on-fuel-smuggling

07:46 2. China Injured Filipino Fishermen in Contested Sea, Manila Says
https://gcaptain.com/china-injured-filipino-fishermen-in-contested-sea-manila-says/

11:13 3. Yemen and the Suez Canal along with Cambodia & Thailand
Merchant Vessel Repels Armed Attack Off Yemen Coast as Red Sea Transit Risks Persist
https://gcaptain.com/merchant-vessel-repels-armed-attack-off-yemen-coast-as-red-sea-transit-risks-persist/

Royal Thai Navy Shells Cambodian Positions
https://maritime-executive.com/article/royal-thai-navy-shells-cambodian-positions

Thailand Considers Blocking Fuel Exports To Cambodia As Border Conflict Escalates
https://gcaptain.com/thailand-considers-blocking-fuel-exports-to-cambodia-as-border-conflict-escalates/

16:08 4. Bananas Ahoy as Overboard Containers Wash Ashore
https://maritime-executive.com/article/bananas-ahoy-as-overboard-containers-wash-ashore

ONE Boxship Loses Containers Overboard off Gran Canaria
https://maritime-executive.com/article/one-boxship-loses-containers-overboard-off-gran-canaria

Grounded MSC Baltic III’s Hull Further Compromised After Winter Storms
https://gcaptain.com/grounded-msc-baltic-iiis-hull-further-compromised-after-winter-storms/

General Average Declared Following Multi-Day Fire on ONE Henry Hudson
https://gcaptain.com/general-average-declared-following-multi-day-fire-on-one-henry-hudson/

21:25 5. Black Sea
Ukraine Says Underwater Drones Hit Submarine, but Moscow Denies Damage
https://gcaptain.com/ukraine-says-underwater-drones-hit-submarine-but-moscow-denies-damage/

Russia Attacks Two Ukrainian Ports, Damaging Three Turkish-Owned Vessels
https://gcaptain.com/russia-attacks-two-ukrainian-ports-damaging-three-turkish-owned-vessels/

Video: Russian Drone Hits Product Tanker in Black Sea
https://maritime-executive.com/article/video-russian-drone-hits-product-tanker-in-black-sea-after-leaving-ukraine

Tanker Operator Quits Russian Trade After Suspected Ukrainian Strike
https://maritime-executive.com/article/tanker-operator-quits-russian-trade-after-suspected-ukrainian-strike

Stricken sanctioned tanker arrives in Bulgarian anchorage, but what next?
https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1155887/Stricken-sanctioned-tanker-arrives-in-Bulgarian-anchorage-but-what-next

EU Blacklists More Shadow Fleet Operators Moving Russian Oil
https://gcaptain.com/eu-blacklists-more-shadow-fleet-operators-moving-russian-oil/

28:57 Conclusion