Contrary to popular belief, the days of Captain Hook aren’t long past.

Modern-day pirates continue to terrorize the open seas, and Smithsonian Magazine contributor Paul Raffaele knows all about it.

In his feature story, “The Pirate Hunters,” Raffaele investigates the reemergence of high-sea buccaneering…but in today’s stories there’s a twist.

Increased law enforcement and high-tech tools are now helping to protect cargo ships from being attacked by gun-toting criminals.

“Pirates have been causing trouble ever since men first went down to the sea in ships, or at least since the 14th century B.C.,” he writes. “Now the seedy romance of the golden-age legends may be supplanted by a new reality: as governments cut their navies after the cold war, as thieves have gotten hold of more powerful weapons and as more and more cargo has moved by sea, piracy has once again become a lucrative form of waterborne mugging…No vessel seems safe, be it a supertanker or a private yacht.

As a contributor to Smithsonian Magazine, Raffaele has traveled to some of the most remote and dangerous places in the world.

In the past three years alone, he has captured giant anacondas in a Venezuelan swamp, ridden with Tuareg camel soldiers through the Sahara to Timbuktu, investigated child slavery in northern Uganda, hunted down gorilla poachers in the Congo…and acted as an extra in a Bollywood film.

Listen to Paul Raffaele live on Peter’s radio show this weekend. You can call Peter LIVE with your questions on Saturday, 10 a.m.-noon EST at 888-88-PETER (888-887-3837).

For information on boating safety, check out “Boating Safety Basics”.