The loading of Automatic Identification System equipment on low-orbiting satellites can adapt to the demand of exchanging data and information with greater “capacity” brought by the AIS data information of ships in deep waters that cannot be covered by land-based stations. The information in the satellite AIS data contains a large number of potential features of ship activities, and by selecting the ship satellite AIS data of typical months in the South China Sea in 2020. Data Mining, Geographic Information System and traffic flow theory are used to visualize and analyze the ship activities in the South China Sea. The study shows that the distribution of ship routes in the South China Sea is very high. Research shows that the distribution of ship routes in South China Sea waters is highly compatible with the recommended routes for merchant ships, and the width of the track belt is obvious; the number of ships passing through the southern waters of Taiwan Strait is obviously increasing. South China Sea maritime safety management and service security layout should focus on the main shipping routes with ships, important straits, key offshore islands and coastal waters. The research findings can provide basic theoretical support for the layout and construction of ship safety management and service capacity guarantee in the South China Sea.