How can I check the current oil transports on the oceans ?
This article describes the free use of the website Vesselfinder on a computer screen. It is run by the company Vesselfinder Ltd in Bulgaria. The website’s terms of use exclude any warranty for the accuracy and availability of the data. Do not hesitate to countercheck and to compare the data of Vesselfinder with other official, complete and reliable data sources.
Menu option : map selection of vessel categories (tankers etc)
The menu on the top of the site contains the columns map, vessels, photos, ports, containers and services.
Click on « map » and go to the secondary menu for map searches on the left side of the screen.
By clicking on the filter symbol (below the star symbol) you can choose one or more vessel types (cargo, tankers, cruise ships etc).
Example: You want to check tanker movements :
Just unselect all categories except « tankers » and go to the map zone you are interested in.
You may find it interesting to check the « strait of Hormuz » between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. In april 2026 it is often spoken about in the media.
You can check as well the situation in front of big european seaports such as Antwerp (Belgium), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Hamburg (Germany) or Le Havre (France).
The ships are represented by symbols (circles or arrows). By clicking on individual symbols, additional infos will be shown on the left side of the screen :
The ship’s name and photo (if available), size and tonnage, destination, status (under way, drifting, moored, at anchor, restricted etc), flag data etc.
Historical data going back to 2009 is not available in free mode, it has to be ordered by the company Vesselfinder Ltd.
Menu option : selection of individual boats (Tankers, Yachts, Cruise Ships etc.)
Another interesting search function is accessible by clicking on « vessels » on the top site menu.
Three search fields are available there : ship name/ IMO number (IMO = international maritime organization), flag, ship type.
Example : If you want to get tanker data, you can use the search field number 3 and select « tankers » in the scrolldown menu.
A simulation on 6 april 2026 shows 26 028 « tankers in service » (a refinement of the search by product category is possible).
If you know the ship name or IMO number, you can track individual vessels by using the search field number 1.
By this method you can search as well the position of cruise ships suchs as the « Disney Fantasy » or of Yachts on which stars like Leonardo di Caprio enjoy partying. For example the yacht Koru, owned by Jeff Bezos.
Menu option : Ports database
This search function has two limitations : the database contains only 6000 ports (in april 2026), and for the available ports the result list is limited to ten (if you don’t have a subscription).
Nevertheless, the search can be interesting.
The use is possible in this way : click on « ports » on the top site menu and select the country and port city you are interested in.
You’ll get infos about the port activity, the arrivals and departures.
If a certain port is not available, you can identify the ships in the area by using the map function.
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