Recent AIS positions
View vessels that have usable coordinates in the current public snapshot, with freshness attached to each report.
Vessel details
Inspect identity, type, flag, speed, course, status and destination when those fields are present in AIS metadata.
Movement context
Use received position history and nearby ports without inventing a route through missing coverage.
Practical filters
Narrow the map by vessel class, ports, sanctions context, dark-vessel research layers and other available modes.
How the map is assembled
PocketWorld normalizes recent public AIS reports into one map model. Coordinates, timestamps and movement fields come from the current provider record. Vessel identity and destination metadata can arrive on a different message schedule, so the detail card keeps unavailable fields unknown and shows the age of the latest observation.
The displayed count is the number of vessels with usable positions in the current snapshot. It is not an estimate of all ships at sea. Receiver density, satellite relays, provider availability and each vessel's transmission behavior change the visible total.
Reading speed, course and destination
Speed over ground and course describe the latest received report. Destination and navigation status can be entered manually aboard the vessel and may be abbreviated or stale. PocketWorld presents those values as source metadata, not as a verified arrival promise.
Use limits
The globe is intended for exploration, education and broad traffic context. It is not certified for navigation, collision avoidance, port operations, sanctions screening or emergency response. Operational decisions require responsible authorities and appropriate maritime systems.
What the vessel map can show
PocketWorld turns recent AIS messages into a geographic view of maritime activity. A vessel record can include identity, coordinates, course, speed, navigation status and a crew-entered destination. Those fields do not arrive together on every transmission, and they are not equally reliable. The interface keeps missing values unknown and exposes the latest timestamp instead of presenting an old report as a current fix.
Where coverage changes
Terrestrial AIS receivers provide the strongest public coverage near populated coasts and major ports. Open-ocean gaps are normal, and some ship classes may be absent because of equipment, regulation, privacy or provider limits. The map is useful for exploration and broad traffic awareness, but it is not a navigation instrument, a collision-avoidance system or proof of a vessel's legal status.
Maritime data sources
Vessel positions use available AIS feeds and public maritime datasets. Coastal coverage and update intervals vary by receiver network.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a vessel missing?
The vessel may be outside public receiver coverage, using a different transmission interval, blocked by a provider, or absent from the current AIS snapshot.
Is every marker current?
No. Each marker represents its latest received report. Check freshness before interpreting its location or speed as the present condition.
Does PocketWorld predict a ship's route?
Position history joins received observations. PocketWorld does not invent a route across an AIS coverage gap.