facha.dev (AIS Ships) API

Base URL

https://api.facha.dev/v1

Authentication

No API key or account for the public endpoints. Rate limits are applied per bucket and reported in the response headers.

Rate limit

20 requests per 60 seconds on the live ship bucket, reported via `X-RateLimit-Remaining` and `X-RateLimit-Reset`.

Pricing

Free.

CORS

Enabled — callable directly from browser JavaScript

Official docs

Read the docs

Every request below was executed against the live API on 2026-08-21, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.

curl 'https://api.facha.dev/v1/ship/radius/38.70/-9.15/30'

const res = await fetch("https://api.facha.dev/v1/ship/radius/38.70/-9.15/30");
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${res.status}`);
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);

import requests

res = requests.get("https://api.facha.dev/v1/ship/radius/38.70/-9.15/30", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json())

[
  {
    "mmsi": 263619000,
    "timestamp": "2026-08-21T08:01:04.000Z",
    "longitude": -9.15964,
    "latitude": 38.70255,
    "courseOverGround": 249.6,
    "speedOverGround": 0.1,
    "heading": null,
    "rateOfTurn": 128,
    "navigationalStatus": 0,
    "imoNumber": 9276119,
    "name": "MONTENOVO",
    "callSign": "CSDT",
    "type": 52,
    "vesselType": "Port Tender",
    "vesselTypeSlug": "port-tender",
    "dimensionToBow": 13,
    "dimensionToStern": 13,
    "dimensionToPort": 3,
    "dimensionToStarboard": 5,
    "draught": 4.6,
    "destination": "PT LIS",
    "estimatedTimeOfArrival": "04-21 22:00"
  },
  {
    "mmsi": 263701460,
    "timestamp": "2026-08-21T08:00:54.000Z",
    "longitude": -9.13347,
    "latitude": 38.70622,
    "courseOverGround": 18,
    "speedOverGround": 0.1,
    "heading": 246,
    "rateOfTurn": 128,
    "navigationalStatus": 0,
    "imoNumber": 0,
    "name": "ANTERO DE QUENTAL",
    "callSign": "CSKP",
    "type": 69,
    "vesselType": "Passenger",
    "vesselTypeSlug": "passenger",
    "dimensionToBow": 19,
    "dimensionToStern": 30,
    "dimensionToPort": 6,
    "dimensionToStarboard": 6,
    "draught": 0.3,
    "destination": "BARREIRO-LISBOA",
    "estimatedTimeOfArrival": "08-21 19:30"
  },
  {
    "mmsi": 263442559,
    "timestamp": "2026-08-21T08:00:15.000Z",
    "longitude": -9.41747,
    "latitude": 38.69129,
    "courseOverGround": null,
    "speedOverGround": 0,
    "heading": null,
    "rateOfTurn": 128,
    "navigationalStatus": 15,
    "imoNumber": 0,
    "name": "SEA YOU TOO",
    "callSign": "CRB2157",
    "type":

mmsiinteger

Maritime Mobile Service Identity — the radio identifier. Its first three digits are the flag state's MID code.

imoNumberinteger

IMO number, permanent for the hull's life. Returns 0 for vessels that have none, such as small ferries.

name / callSignstring

Vessel name and radio call sign as broadcast.

latitude / longitudefloat

Last reported position.

timestampstring

ISO 8601 time of that report. Check it — vessels at anchor transmit only every few minutes.

speedOverGround / courseOverGround / headingfloat

Speed in knots, course made good, and hull heading. Heading is null when no gyro data is transmitted.

navigationalStatusinteger

AIS status code: 0 under way using engine, 1 at anchor, 5 moored, and so on.

vesselType / vesselTypeSlug / typestring / integer

Decoded vessel category with a slug form, plus the raw numeric AIS type code.

dimensionToBow / Stern / Port / Starboardinteger

Distances in metres from the transponder to each extremity. Bow plus stern gives length; port plus starboard gives beam.

draughtfloat

Declared draught in metres — crew-entered, and often stale after loading or discharge.

destination / estimatedTimeOfArrivalstring

Free-text destination and an AIS-format ETA with no year. Both are typed in by the crew.

• Show live vessel traffic in a port or approach channel
• Monitor arrivals and departures at a specific terminal
• Identify a ship visible from shore by its position and heading
• Estimate vessel size from the transmitted dimension offsets
• Build a maritime traffic dashboard without a data vendor contract