Vessel Finder

VesselFinder is a maritime vessel tracking platform that provides real-time and historical AIS position data for ships worldwide, along with vessel registry information, port call history, and maritime intelligence analytics. It is one of several major vessel tracking platforms used for maritime OSINT.

For OSINT investigators, VesselFinder provides a different user interface and data perspective compared to MarineTraffic — both track vessels via AIS, but search and presentation features differ, and using multiple platforms ensures comprehensive coverage of available maritime intelligence.

Vessel history search allows investigators to trace a ship's complete route over weeks, months, or years — documenting port calls, anchorage periods, transiting routes, and any AIS gaps (periods when the vessel's transponder was offline).

Port call analysis available through VesselFinder shows all vessels that have called at a specific port during a date range — useful for investigations where a specific port is a key location and all vessels operating there need to be identified.

Fleet tracking for specific shipping companies identifies all vessels operated by or associated with a target organization — enabling comprehensive movement analysis across the entire fleet rather than individual vessels.

Vessel registry data links ship names to IMO numbers, flag states, gross tonnage, and registered owners. This registration data provides the starting point for corporate registry investigation to identify beneficial owners behind shipping company shell structures.

Speed and course analysis from AIS data can identify anomalous vessel behavior — unusual course changes, speed reductions without apparent explanation, or paths that deviate from optimal routes — which may indicate rendezvous with other vessels, smuggling operations, or other irregular activity.

VesselFinder's satellite AIS coverage supplements ground-based AIS receivers for open ocean tracking where shore-based receivers have no coverage.

Document vessel names, IMO numbers, flag states, ownership details, position histories, and port calls with query timestamps.