Where is OCEAN OBSERVER now?

OCEAN OBSERVER (Research vessel, United Kingdom flag) was last seen on AIS on Oct 3, 2026, 09:08 UTC, under way at 3.8 kn, in the North Sea. The crew-entered destination was SURVEY OPS.KEEP 1NM (voyage report via AISstream.io global terrestrial AIS, received Oct 2, 2026, 23:11 UTC). This report does not confirm the ship’s current route.

What kind of ship is OCEAN OBSERVER?

OCEAN OBSERVER is a research vessel sailing under the flag of United Kingdom, built in 1987 by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. The vessel is 80 m long and has a gross tonnage of 2,820.

What sanctions and inspection records does Voydar hold for OCEAN OBSERVER?

Voydar has no matched sanctions record displayed for OCEAN OBSERVER from the OFAC SDN list, the UK Sanctions List, the Canadian autonomous sanctions list, the EU list of designated vessels, the New Zealand Russia Sanctions Register and the French national asset-freeze register. Coverage may be incomplete; this is not sanctions clearance. No matched inspection records are displayed for OCEAN OBSERVER. Missing records do not establish whether the ship has been detained.

OCEAN OBSERVER

Research vessel · United Kingdom · built 1987 · AIS Class A

IMO8511275MMSI232217000Call signGHXXLast AIS position Oct 3, 2026, 09:08 UTC

Open in Terminal

In short

OCEAN OBSERVER (Research vessel, United Kingdom flag) was last seen on AIS on Oct 3, 2026, 09:08 UTC, under way at 3.8 kn, in the North Sea. Its crew-entered AIS destination is SURVEY OPS.KEEP 1NM; its reported draught is 4.8 m (voyage report via AISstream.io global terrestrial AIS, received Oct 2, 2026, 23:11 UTC). ISM manager: Gardline Marine Sciences Ltd (source: EU MRV (THETIS-MRV) emissions, reporting year 2025).

Vessel type: Research vessel
Flag: United Kingdom
Year built: 1987
Gross tonnage: 2,820
Size (length × beam): 80 m
ISM manager: Gardline Marine Sciences Ltd

Watch this ship

Get an email when OCEAN OBSERVER arrives or leaves port, changes destination, name, flag or owner, or is sanctioned, detained or named in an official release.

We email you a link and a code. That creates a free account, no password or card, and follows OCEAN OBSERVER.

Free account, no card: follow up to 5 ships and ports. Plus follows 50, Pro 500.

By continuing you accept the Terms and the Privacy policy.

Last reported position

received Oct 3, 2026, 09:08 UTC

Position: 56.8091° N, 7.1493° E
Area: North Sea
StatusWhat do AIS statuses mean?: Under way using engine
Speed: 3.8 kn
Course: 29°
Heading: 28°

56.8091° N, 7.1493° E

Open the full live map →

Voydar detected no port call in the last 30 days.

Port calls are detected by Voydar from AIS (at least 30 minutes slow inside a harbour area); see Port calls below.

A year of history in the Terminal (Plus) · the full archive since June 1, 2026 (Pro)

Try the live demo, no sign-up

Identity & particulars

Name: OCEAN OBSERVER
IMO numberWhat is an IMO number?: 8511275
MMSIWhat is an MMSI?: 232217000
Call signWhat is a call sign?: GHXX
Flag: United Kingdom
Vessel type: Research vessel
AIS ship type: Reserved
Gross tonnageGross tonnage vs deadweight: 2,820
Length overall: 80 m
Beam: —
Year built: 1987

A tag next to a value names the register that supplied it (hover or tap it for the record and date). Values without a tag come from the ship's own AIS broadcasts or from Wikidata. Position and identity are derived live from AIS.

Ownership & management

Each line shows where the fact comes from. Links backed by an identifier point to the company page.

ISM manager: Gardline Marine Sciences Ltd
Source: EU MRV (THETIS-MRV) emissions · reporting year 2025 · reported · confidence 0.9 · retrieved Sep 28, 2026
Builder: HD Hyundai Heavy Industries
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.8 · retrieved Sep 22, 2026

Timeline

Dated events for this ship from every source Voydar holds, newest first. Each line names its source; derived items say how they were derived.

Date	Event	Source
Aug 3, 2016	Reported departure from Los AngelesAuthority-reported	USACE foreign traffic vessel entrances & clearances
May 23, 2016	Reported arrival at Los AngelesAuthority-reported	USACE foreign traffic vessel entrances & clearances
Jan 1, 1987	Former name: Mermaid	Wikidata

Owner, operator and manager changes found by comparing yearly EU MRV reports are dated to the reporting year ("during 2025"), not to a day. Port calls here are the most recent only; the full lists are further down.

Former and other names

Names attested for this ship other than its current name.

Name	Evidence	Date	Source
Mermaid	Former name	Jan 1, 1987	Wikidata

A sanctions list's date is the earliest date the list shows the name, not when the ship took it. A name on a list is shown as a former name only where AIS shows the ship using another name after that date; otherwise it is listed as a name the list uses. AIS name changes are dated when Voydar saw them.

Source: Wikidata. Licence: CC0 1.0.

Emissions & fuel consumption

Independently verified annual figures reported under the EU MRV regulation — public environmental data the incumbents don't surface.

Year	CO₂ emitted	Fuel burned	Time at sea	CO₂ / n mile
2025	0 t	0 t	0 days	—

Technical efficiency: Not Applicable. Source: European Commission / EMSA THETIS-MRV (EU Regulation 2015/757). Covers voyages to, from and within the EU/EEA.

Port calls

Two kinds of evidence, kept apart: calls Voydar detected from the ship's AIS positions, and arrivals and departures published by port authorities and customs records.

Reported by authorities Authority-reported

Port	Record	Date (UTC)	Berth	Source
Los Angeles USLAX	Departure	Aug 3, 2016(date only)	—	USACE foreign traffic vessel entrances & clearances
Los Angeles USLAX	Arrival	May 23, 2016(date only)	—	USACE foreign traffic vessel entrances & clearances

Records published by the authority named on each row. Earliest record for this ship: May 23, 2016.

Source: US Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (US CBP entrance/clearance records). Licence: US Government work — public domain.

Frequently asked questions

Where is OCEAN OBSERVER now?: OCEAN OBSERVER (Research vessel, United Kingdom flag) was last seen on AIS on Oct 3, 2026, 09:08 UTC, under way at 3.8 kn, in the North Sea. The crew-entered destination was SURVEY OPS.KEEP 1NM (voyage report via AISstream.io global terrestrial AIS, received Oct 2, 2026, 23:11 UTC). This report does not confirm the ship’s current route.
What kind of ship is OCEAN OBSERVER?: OCEAN OBSERVER is a research vessel sailing under the flag of United Kingdom, built in 1987 by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. The vessel is 80 m long and has a gross tonnage of 2,820.
Who is recorded as the owner or manager of OCEAN OBSERVER?: Gardline Marine Sciences Ltd is recorded as ISM manager for OCEAN OBSERVER (source: EU MRV (THETIS-MRV) emissions; reporting year 2025). This source record does not independently confirm today’s ownership or management.
What sanctions and inspection records does Voydar hold for OCEAN OBSERVER?: Voydar has no matched sanctions record displayed for OCEAN OBSERVER from the OFAC SDN list, the UK Sanctions List, the Canadian autonomous sanctions list, the EU list of designated vessels, the New Zealand Russia Sanctions Register and the French national asset-freeze register. Coverage may be incomplete; this is not sanctions clearance. No matched inspection records are displayed for OCEAN OBSERVER. Missing records do not establish whether the ship has been detained.

Use this data

This page is also available as JSON, free, with the source and licence of every section. Sections whose sources do not permit redistribution are listed as withheld.

GET /api/v1/vessels/8511275

View JSON API documentationFree without a key for occasional use; use an API key for more.

Follow by RSS Open data

Using this data in code?

Every account gets a personal API allowance: 2,500 credits a month free, 25,000 with Pro. Pro adds internal business use; API plans add building the data into your own products.

See plans