Day of the Seafarer
Next: June 25, 2027
Thank the people who crew the world.
The story
Where it comes from
The Day of the Seafarer was born in Manila. On 25 June 2010, at a conference held there by the International Maritime Organization, delegates from 85 countries adopted major updates to the international rules for training and certifying seafarers, known as the Manila Amendments. In what the IMO had named the Year of the Seafarer, the same conference resolved to make 25 June an annual day of thanks to the people who crew the world's ships. The IMO Assembly confirmed the day in 2011, the year it was first celebrated.
How it's celebrated
Each year the IMO runs a campaign inviting people to thank seafarers, and crews share photos and stories of life at sea on social media. In some years shipping bodies have asked ships in port to sound their horns at noon local time as a salute. Ships carry around 90% of the world's goods, so the day is also a reminder of who brought much of what is in your home. Send a thank-you to someone who works at sea.
Did you know
- The resolution that created the day speaks of the 'deprivations' seafarers face from spending long periods away from their families and friends.
- Closing the 2010 conference, the IMO's Secretary-General called Manila the capital of 'a seafaring nation par excellence'.
- In 2011 the Philippines declared 25 June the Day of the Filipino Seafarer as well.
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