Seafarer Stories

Who are the people behind the massive vessels that crisscross our oceans every day? What paths led them to life at sea—and what keeps them going through the long months away from home?

In this portrait series, we introduce the individuals behind the uniforms: seafarers from around the world who share their personal stories, in their own words. Some grew up by the coast and always dreamed of the ocean. Others found their way to the job by chance—drawn by opportunity, curiosity, or necessity. Each story is unique, and each one reveals the deeply human side of a profession often reduced to numbers, routes, and cargo.

They speak of challenges: the physical demands of the job, the emotional strain of missing family milestones, the isolation that can settle in during weeks without land in sight. But they also speak of connection—of watching the sunrise over an empty sea, of laughter in the crew mess, of bonds formed between people from entirely different worlds.

This series goes beyond life on board. It explores what it means to return home, to balance two worlds, to raise children from afar, to hold relationships together across oceans and time zones. Through these stories, readers don’t just learn about shipping—they get to know the people who live it.

Step into the lives of the men and women who keep global trade moving. Meet the faces of the sea.