LIVE MARITIME DATA
The oceans, live.
A live ship tracker on a 3D globe. Vessels plotted from AIS transponder broadcasts — position, speed, heading and type — with ports and chokepoints for context.
What you see for every vessel
Position
Every vessel plotted at its reported location — watch traffic bunch up at straits, canals and port approaches in real time.
Speed
Live speed over ground, so you can tell a full-steam container ship apart from a tanker idling at anchor.
Heading
Direction of travel for each vessel, making it easy to read which way a shipping lane is actually flowing right now.
Vessel type
Container ships, tankers, bulk carriers, passenger ferries, tugs and fishing boats — each categorized by what it is.
Destination & port
Where vessels report they're headed, alongside ports and maritime chokepoints plotted on the globe.
Fresh updates
AIS positions refresh on the order of seconds for moving vessels, so the picture you see keeps pace with reality.
How ship tracking works
Nearly every large vessel at sea carries an AIS transponder — Automatic Identification System. It continuously broadcasts the ship's identity, position, speed, heading and intended destination over VHF radio, primarily so nearby ships and port authorities know what's around them.
A global network of shore-based receivers and satellites picks up those broadcasts and publishes them as open data feeds. WorldEye takes that stream and plots each vessel on the same 3D globe as everything else: flights overhead, storms forming, satellites passing by, and the ports themselves marked with chokepoint context.
The maritime feed — full vessel traffic with port and chokepoint intelligence — is part of the Pro intel toolkit. The rest of the globe, including live flights and 40,000+ public cameras, is free for everyone with no account.
Why people watch the seas
Port & coast watchers
Ship spotting from your desk. Follow the big container ships and tankers into port, or watch a busy strait at rush hour.
Logistics watchers
See global trade in motion — traffic piling up at major chokepoints tells you things spreadsheets don't.
Enthusiasts & travelers
Waiting on a ferry? Curious what that cruise ship is? Pull up the sea around you and see what's moving.
Ship tracker FAQ
Is the ship tracker free?
The WorldEye globe itself is free — no account, no signup. Maritime vessel tracking is part of WorldEye's premium maritime intel feed, which is included with a Pro subscription. Everything else on the map — flights, satellites, weather, quakes, wildfires and 40,000+ public cameras — is free forever.
How do ships show up on the map?
Large commercial vessels broadcast their position, speed and heading using AIS transponders — radio signals picked up by a worldwide network of receivers and satellites. WorldEye's maritime layer plots those reports on the globe as they arrive.
What details can I see for each vessel?
Position, speed over ground, heading, vessel type (container ship, tanker, bulk carrier, ferry, tug and more), and the destination the vessel has reported — plus ports and maritime chokepoints as context.
Are all ships shown?
Only vessels that are broadcasting AIS. Large commercial ships are required to carry AIS transponders, but small private boats generally aren't — and vessels can go dark outside receiver coverage or switch their transponder off, so some areas are quieter than others.
Is this the same technology as marine-traffic websites?
Yes, it's the same underlying data: AIS broadcasts aggregated by receiver networks. WorldEye's difference is the context — ships on the same 3D globe as flights overhead, weather systems, live cameras in ports and satellite imagery.
Watch the world's trade routes
The full maritime feed — vessels, ports and chokepoints — is part of WorldEye Pro.
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Satellite tracker
Thousands of satellites overhead — the ISS, Starlink and more, live on the globe.
Features
Everything the globe can do — free forever layers and Pro intelligence tools.
Pricing
Weekly, monthly and annual Pro plans — the maritime feed is included.
Open the map
The free live 3D globe — flights, weather, cameras and more, no signup.