Explore WakeAtlas

Use Map tools in the top bar for detailed map controls, imagery and research tools. Choose a section inside the panel; Close or Escape returns focus to Map tools. Closing it keeps your layer choices. Search, results and the observation timeline remain in the left explorer. Browse all pages opens the catalogue and research directory. Explore temporarily replaces the search panel; close the menu to restore it with its settings intact.

Start with a vessel or port, then add the information you need. Every observation has its own source and time.

WakeAtlas is a public preview. Data reception and features may be interrupted during development. Keep original advisories and official navigation sources available.

Common tasks

Find a vessel: open Search and enter its name, MMSI or IMO. Select a result to locate its last stored report. Clicking a vessel opens its details and a saved photograph when available, with credit and a source link. The photograph is not a live view.
Explore a port: open Explore → Ports, choose a port and select View port. Use AIS near this port for the radius and report-age controls, or Show on map to locate it. A port without reports may have limited reception.
Keep track of boats: choose Favourite boat, then open My boats. Guest favourites stay in this browser; accounts keep a separate collection.
Return to a catalogue: use Back to catalogue on a vessel page to restore the filters and page you came from.
Get your bearings: use + and − to zoom, North up to straighten the view, or Reset view to return to the globe.
See clouds: open Map tools → Weather and ocean, then tick Show satellite cloud imagery. Use Latest regional infrared weather and check each region’s image age. VIIRS is an optional daily composite.
Inspect ocean conditions: double-click empty ocean to see grid depth, wind, significant wave height, sea-surface and air temperatures where available. Single-click and drag retain normal navigation. The inspector uses the current forecast hour, independently of the wind slider, and is unavailable during vessel-history playback. Expand Sources, times and accuracy for provenance.
Check data freshness: open Data freshness to compare model runs, retrieval times, observation ages and monitoring gaps. A recent download does not make an old report current.
Inspect depth: open Map tools → Land and seabed and enable global GEBCO bathymetry. It starts off; detailed land imagery stays available independently.
Reduce clutter: open Map tools → Imagery to adjust individual overlays. Focus globe hides the explorer without discarding its settings.

Understand the layers

Teal / amber / grey vessels: AIS report age: within 1 hour / 1–24 hours / older or uncertain. These colours do not describe vessel size.
Orange GFW activity: Delayed daily activity cells, not exact current positions. Read the actual report date; delay is not always exactly 72 hours.
Satellite weather: Observed imagery with a capture time. Different satellites have different coverage and refresh intervals; imagery does not replace a forecast.
Weather model layers: Modelled conditions for a valid time. Compare the valid time with the observation time on buoy reports.
Buoys: Measurements at a station. Missing readings mean unavailable, not zero.
Port aerial imagery: Detailed reference photographs, not a live view. Survey edges and date differences can remain visible. Open Imagery for source attribution.
Warnings: Check issuer, issue time, validity and the original advisory. The map may not contain every active notice.

When something looks missing

Use Filter ships beside the globe to choose the last hour, six hours, twenty-four hours, seven days or any age. Check vessel age filters, enabled layers, the timeline and the last successful refresh. Zoom in if the display limit is reached. Empty areas do not establish that there are no vessels or hazards there.

Read data sources and limitations · Manage saved settings and search history