The Carolina coast
A day of boats on the Cape Fear
July 4, 2025 on the river, every boat with a transponder.
- Medium
- One day of ship transponder positions over a month of tracks
- Length
- 32 s
- Collection
- The Carolina coast
- Posted
- Nov 10, 2026
The story
Every boat that broadcast its position (AIS) on July 4, 2025, midnight to midnight in 30 seconds, from Wilmington down to Bald Head Island. The faint glow underneath is every track from all of July, 552 vessels, so the channel, the ferry route and the waterway draw themselves.
Watch the Southport to Fort Fisher ferry shuttle back and forth all day.
What you're seeing
- Gold is cargo ships, cyan is tugs and pilot boats, green is ferries, pink is fishing, pale blue is pleasure and sail boats.
- Only boats that broadcast AIS show up, so most small boats are missing.
Data
Have an interesting day.