ONE KEY, FIVE DATASETS
Maritime Data API
Vessel positions, port events, port and navigation references, EU MRV emissions with casualty records, and notifications behind one REST API and one key. Over 700,000 vessel records and UN/LOCODE port references, with the same JSON format and pagination on every endpoint. Every plan is self-service: there is no sales call.
700K+
Vessel records
EU MRV
Emissions Data
31 days
Positions kept; area queries in 4-hour windows
5
Datasets, one key
SDKs
One Key, Five Datasets
All 33 REST endpoints share one API key, Bearer authentication, cursor pagination and one error format. Each row below links to the documentation for that dataset.
| Dataset | Endpoints | Retention | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vessels and positions | /v1/vessel/{id} /v1/vessel/{id}/position /v1/vessel/{id}/eta /v1/vessels/positions /v1/location/vessels/bounding-box /v1/location/vessels/radius /v1/search/vessels |
Positions 31 days; area queries in 4-hour windows. Particulars are current records. | Vessel lookup API |
| Port events | /v1/portevents /v1/portevents/port/{unlocode} /v1/portevents/ports /v1/portevents/vessel/{id} /v1/portevents/vessel/{id}/last /v1/portevents/vessels /v1/port/{unlocode}/inbound |
31 days. Processed every minute; coverage varies by country. | Port events API |
| Ports and navigation | /v1/port/{unlocode} /v1/search/ports /v1/location/ports/bounding-box /v1/location/ports/radius search, bounding-box and radius for lightaids, radiobeacons, dgps and modu |
Reference data; port records refreshed daily. | Ports and navigation API |
| Emissions and casualty records | /v1/vessel/{id}/emissions /v1/emissions /v1/vessel/{id}/casualties |
EU MRV reporting periods 2023 to 2025, published once a year after verification. Data attribution. | Emissions and casualty API |
| Notifications | Webhook and WebSocket subscriptions for port arrivals and departures, ETA changes, speed changes and geofence events (separate API, paid plans) | Pushed as they are detected, checked every few minutes. | Notifications API |
No sales call. Every plan is self-service. There is no enterprise tier or quote process, and plans run month to month. The free tier is 150 calls a month without a card, and paid plans are fixed monthly quotas bought and cancelled from the dashboard. The pricing page lists them.
One Vessel Across Four Datasets
The same MMSI or IMO links a vessel's search result, its position, its port calls and its emissions record.
# Search for a vessel by name
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
"https://api.vesselapi.com/v1/search/vessels?filter.name=EVER%20GIVEN"
# Get its current position
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
"https://api.vesselapi.com/v1/vessel/353136000/position?filter.idType=mmsi"
# Check its port history
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
"https://api.vesselapi.com/v1/portevents/vessel/353136000?filter.idType=mmsi"
# Look up emissions data
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
"https://api.vesselapi.com/v1/vessel/9811000/emissions?filter.idType=imo"For the positions dataset on its own see the AIS data API; for tracking workflows see the ship tracking API; for emissions alone see the vessel emissions API.
SDKs and MCP Server
Official SDKs for Python, TypeScript and Go cover all 33 REST endpoints with pagination, retries and typed errors. The MCP server gives Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients the same datasets as 19 tools. Notifications use plain HTTP.
Frequently Asked Questions
What maritime data does the API cover?
Five datasets: vessel positions and particulars (AIS), port events, ports and navigation references, EU MRV emissions with marine casualty records, and notifications. The official SDKs and the MCP server cover all of them except notifications, which use plain HTTP.
How many vessels and ports are covered?
There are over 700,000 vessel records and UN/LOCODE port references for ports worldwide. Live positions are available for vessels within terrestrial AIS coverage, which is strongest in coastal waters and around ports. Positions and port events are kept for 31 days.
Is there a free tier?
Yes. The free tier gives 150 calls a month on every REST endpoint, with no card. Notifications need a paid plan. Quotas and prices are on the pricing page.
Do I need to talk to sales?
No. Every plan is self-service: sign up, generate a key and pay from the dashboard. There is no enterprise tier or quote process, plans run month to month, and paid plans carry a 14-day money-back guarantee. Questions go to support@vesselapi.com.
What format does the API return?
All endpoints return JSON. Authentication is a Bearer token, pagination uses cursor tokens, and the OpenAPI specification is published for code generation.
Are there SDKs?
Yes: Python, TypeScript and Go, each with auto-pagination, typed errors and retry with exponential backoff. An MCP server gives AI assistants the same endpoints as tools.
Start Building with Maritime Data
Get your free API key and access vessel tracking, port events, emissions, and more in minutes.