Double Lives at Sea: The Vessels That Reinvent Themselves Mid-Journey

They say travel changes you. These ships took that literally.

In the world of maritime security, vessels are increasingly pulling off something akin to a witness protection program — except they’re not hiding from criminals. They are the criminals. Ships are changing names, flags, call signs, and even their declared purpose mid-journey. Not once. Not twice. Sometimes several times in just a few days.

An Identity Makeover at Sea

A cargo vessel left Lebanon in December 2024 and immediately went dark — no AIS, no visibility — for nearly two months. Then, suddenly, it reappeared in Miami on January 29, 2025. Before anyone could ask too many questions, it turned off its AIS again, this time inside the U.S. EEZ, and stayed off the grid for another three months.

When it resurfaced on May 2 in Tripoli, Lebanon, it looked… different. It was flying a new flag (São Tomé and Príncipe), with a new name, new IMO, new MMSI, and new call sign.

Just three days later, on May 5, it reverted to its original name and identity. Then, on May 6, it changed again  —a different flag and MMSI. Another MMSI switch followed on June 16.

Throughout this period, the vessel zigzagged between Lebanon, Egypt, and Libya, appearing as two different ships and using two identities interchangeably.

Image above: The vessel’s journey as it switches between two identities, marked by two colors. Source: Windward’s Maritime AI™ Platform

Images above: A closer look at the vessel’s identity swaps, one (right) as it arrives in Lebanon after a 3-month dark period, the second (left) in mid-June in Egyptian waters. Source: Windward’s Maritime AI™ Platform

Another example:

A cargo vessel spent three quiet months docked in Taizhou, China. Then, on May 21, 2025, it emerged transformed — under a new name, with a new IMO, MMSI, and a new flag: São Tomé and Príncipe. A few days later, it reclassified itself as a fishing vessel and sailed through the Taiwan Strait, down the South China Sea, and toward Malaysia. As it passed over an undersea cable on June 15, it changed its flag again — this time to Myanmar, mid-journey. As of July 18, it’s conducting dark activity in Myanmar’s waters.

Currently, 207 vessels are active under the São Tomé and Príncipe flag, including 16 flagged as high risk for smuggling and 20 as moderate risk. Notably, 20 vessels under this registry are affiliated with the Russian regime, and 7 with Iran. São Tomé and Príncipe operates an open registry — commonly referred to as a “flag of convenience” — which attracts a global fleet seeking flexible regulatory oversight.

Image below: A second vessel changes its call sign and MMSI + flag mid-journey, as it sails over a cable near Malaysia. Source: Windward’s Maritime AI™ Platform

This Isn’t a Glitch. It’s a Tactic.

Swapping identities mid-journey (also known as identity hopping) has become a go-to tactic for smuggling, trafficking, IUU fishing, and even espionage. For authorities and security agencies, it raises a critical question:

How do you track a vessel that constantly changes its identity? Or put differently:
How do you know it’s the same ship when it keeps changing the labels that define it?

This is where Windward comes in.

Windward’s patented entity resolution technology assigns every vessel a unique, persistent ID unaffected by changes in name, flag, MMSI, or even classification. It’s like tagging a vessel’s DNA instead of relying on its ever-changing wardrobe.

So while these ships may think they’re fooling the system, we’re watching them slip in and out of disguises in real time.

And while the theatrics of identity hopping may seem almost comical, for governments and security agencies, it’s no laughing matter. These vessels are often linked to smuggling, trafficking, sanctions evasion, and other national security threats. For commercial players — from insurers to shipping lines and commodity traders — they present major compliance and reputational risks. One oversight can lead to regulatory penalties, blacklisting, or exposure to sanctioned entities.

With Windward, you don’t have to play catch-up. Whether you’re safeguarding borders or running clean operations, our entity resolution technology ensures you’re always tracking the real vessel, no matter what identity it tries on next.