LIVE AIS DATA

Marine Traffic
in Real Time

Monitor vessel positions, routes, port arrivals and worldwide maritime traffic with live AIS data updated every few seconds.

🚢 Track a Vessel 📊 Largest Ships
200,000+Active Vessels
10,000+World Ports
< 10sAIS Update Rate
FreeNo Registration

🗺️ Live Marine Traffic Map

Real-time vessel positions worldwide — zoom in to any port, strait or sea route

Powered by live AIS data · Positions update in real time

Track Any Type of Ship

From giant container ships to private yachts — filter by vessel type to find exactly what you're looking for.

🚢 Cargo Ships 🛢️ Tankers 📦 Container Ships 🛳️ Cruise Ships ⚙️ Bulk Carriers ⛴️ Ferries 🎣 Fishing Vessels ⛵ Yachts 🔵 LNG Carriers 🚤 Tug Boats 🔬 Research Vessels 🪖 Navy Ships

🌍 Key Maritime Regions & Straits

Monitor ship traffic through the world's busiest maritime chokepoints and sea routes.

Bosphorus Strait

Turkey's strategic strait connecting Black Sea and Mediterranean. One of the busiest waterways in the world.

Suez Canal

Vital shortcut between Mediterranean and Red Sea. Over 19,000 vessels transit annually.

Panama Canal

Connects Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Critical route for container ships and bulk carriers.

Strait of Malacca

World's busiest strait — over 80,000 ships per year linking Indian Ocean and South China Sea.

English Channel

Separates Great Britain from continental Europe. One of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

Strait of Hormuz

Gateway to the Persian Gulf. Critical chokepoint for global oil tanker traffic.

Mediterranean Sea

Major hub connecting Europe, Africa and Asia. Hundreds of ports and thousands of active vessels.

North Sea

Busy shipping corridor between UK, Scandinavia and continental Europe. Major oil and gas traffic.

Black Sea

Enclosed sea bordered by six countries. Major route for grain, oil and bulk cargo exports.

⚓ World's Busiest Ports

Check live ship arrivals, departures and vessel schedules at major ports worldwide.

🇨🇳 Port of Shanghai 🇳🇱 Port of Rotterdam 🇸🇬 Port of Singapore 🇺🇸 Port of Los Angeles 🇩🇪 Port of Hamburg 🇧🇪 Port of Antwerp 🇦🇪 Port of Dubai (Jebel Ali) 🇹🇷 Port of Istanbul 🇺🇸 Port of New York 🇬🇷 Port of Piraeus 🇰🇷 Port of Busan 🇨🇳 Port of Ningbo

View all ports →

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about live marine traffic tracking.

Marine traffic refers to the movement of ships and vessels across oceans, seas, rivers and ports worldwide. Live marine traffic is tracked using AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders installed on ships, which broadcast their position, speed, heading and destination in real time.
Ships over 300 gross tons are legally required to carry AIS transponders. These devices broadcast a vessel's MMSI number, position (GPS), speed, course and destination every few seconds. A global network of AIS receivers — both land-based and satellite — picks up these signals and displays them on live tracking maps like ShipsTrack.
Yes. ShipsTrack provides free, real-time vessel tracking with no registration or subscription required. Simply search for a vessel by name, IMO or MMSI number, or browse the live map to monitor any ship worldwide.
AIS (Automatic Identification System) is a VHF radio-based tracking system used by ships. Each vessel broadcasts a unique MMSI number along with its GPS position, speed, heading, vessel type and destination. This data is received by coastal stations and satellites and relayed to tracking platforms in near real time.
A vessel may not appear on the live map if: its AIS transponder is switched off, it is in a remote area with no AIS receiver coverage, it is a small vessel not required to carry AIS (under 300 GT), or there is a temporary data gap. Satellite AIS covers most ocean areas, but updates may be less frequent in open sea.
Yes. The IMO number is a unique 7-digit identifier permanently assigned to a vessel. You can enter the IMO number in the search bar to instantly find and track any ship. The IMO number never changes even if the vessel changes name, flag or owner.

What Is Marine Traffic Tracking?

Marine traffic describes the movement of commercial and private vessels across the world's waterways. Tracking marine traffic in real time is made possible by the Automatic Identification System (AIS) — a global network of ship transponders and receivers that broadcasts vessel positions every few seconds.

ShipsTrack aggregates live AIS data from coastal receivers and satellites to display the positions of over 200,000 vessels on an interactive world map. Whether you need to track a cargo ship, monitor a supertanker, or check arrivals at a specific port, our marine traffic map gives you instant, free access.

How to Track a Ship

There are three ways to find a vessel on ShipsTrack:

Once found, click the vessel to open its live AIS position map, view technical specifications (GT, DWT, length, flag), and check recent port calls and route history.

Busiest Maritime Routes

The world's most heavily trafficked shipping lanes include the English Channel, the Strait of Malacca, the Bosphorus Strait and the Suez Canal. These chokepoints see hundreds of vessel transits daily, carrying everything from crude oil to consumer electronics.

AIS Coverage and Limitations

Land-based AIS receivers cover coastal waters and ports, while satellite AIS extends coverage to the open ocean. Most commercial vessels in international waters are visible on our map. Vessels may temporarily disappear if they disable their transponder, sail through an area with poor satellite coverage, or are below the 300 GT threshold that mandates AIS carriage.