Maritime Tracker
Vessel tracking is off — chokepoint reference below
Live vessel tracking is switched off, and we are not going to pretend it is coming back next week. We looked for a replacement AIS feed and could not find a free one we are licensed to use commercially. The chokepoint reference and the oil-market notes below stand on their own and are unaffected.
No Vessel Feed — And No Free One To Switch To
We went looking for a replacement after removing the old map, and came back empty-handed. There is no free, live AIS source covering US waters that we are licensed to resell inside a paid product. The cleanest open government feed is Norway's and only covers Norwegian waters. NOAA publishes US AIS data, but it is historical, not live. The one free global live feed publishes no commercial terms at all, and we are not willing to build a subscription feature on silence.
So this is honest rather than hopeful: vessel tracking is off indefinitely. Bringing it back means paying a commercial AIS provider, and that is a decision about cost, not a piece of work waiting in a queue. We would rather tell you that than keep a “coming soon” banner up for months.
To be clear about what this means: ships are sailing and broadcasting AIS normally. The absence of a map here says nothing about traffic through any strait or canal — it only means this page has no data source connected.
Where This Page Stands
What Would Bring It Back
A paid subscription to a commercial AIS provider. Every free option we found either covers the wrong part of the world, is historical rather than live, or states no commercial terms. There is no free fix we are holding back on.
Why It Was Pulled
The old map was embedded from a provider whose terms reserve commercial use of their data to written licence holders. We removed it rather than keep operating outside those terms.
Instead Of A Map
The chokepoint reference below is our own research and stands on its own. It tells you which passages matter and why, without needing a live map.
Everything Else
Only this vessel map is affected. Aircraft tracking is live again on an openly licensed feed, and the rest of your situational-awareness tools are unchanged.
Strategic Maritime Chokepoints
These narrow passages are critical to global trade and oil supply. Disruptions at any of these points can cause immediate oil price spikes and stock market movements — often before mainstream news reports the event.
Strait of Hormuz
26.5°N, 56.3°EPersian Gulf
20% of global oil passes through here. Iran tensions directly impact oil prices.
Suez Canal
30.5°N, 32.3°EEgypt
12% of global trade. Blockages (like Ever Given) cause massive supply chain disruptions.
Bab el-Mandeb
12.6°N, 43.3°ERed Sea / Yemen
Oil and cargo route. Houthi attacks have disrupted shipping since 2023.
Strait of Malacca
2.5°N, 101.3°ESoutheast Asia
25% of global trade. Piracy and geopolitical tensions are key risks.
Panama Canal
9.1°N, 79.7°WCentral America
Connects Atlantic and Pacific. Drought has reduced daily ship transits.
Bosporus Strait
41.1°N, 29.0°ETurkey
Grain and oil route from Black Sea. Russia-Ukraine conflict impacts.
How Maritime Events Affect Oil & Stocks
Tanker Incidents
Ship seizures, attacks, or groundings at chokepoints cause immediate oil price spikes. Watch for unusual vessel clustering or route changes.
Supply Disruption
If tankers reroute away from a chokepoint, supply chains are disrupted. Energy stocks, shipping stocks, and futures react within hours.
Early Warning
Vessel reroutes around a chokepoint often show up before news outlets report the story. That is the signal this page was built to surface — and the reason a licensed AIS feed would be worth paying for if we ever do.
No live vessel data is being served on this page. Ship positions are broadcast via AIS (Automatic Identification System) and some vessels, including many military ones, do not broadcast at all. The links above point to independent third-party services; their coverage, accuracy and terms of use are their own. If vessel tracking is ever restored here it will be for situational awareness and educational purposes only — not for navigation or operational decisions.