Mines and mine danger areas
Also written: minefield, mine danger area
Sea mines reported adrift or found, and areas where mines are known or suspected to remain.
Drifting mines are among the most serious hazards a warning can report. Since 2022 the Black Sea has produced a series of warnings about mines that broke from their moorings and drifted along the western and southern coasts. Older mine danger areas from past conflicts remain charted in some waters, and the mine-countermeasure exercises that practise clearing them appear as warnings too.
A mine warning gives the position where a mine was sighted or neutralised. Mines drift: that position is where it was seen, not where it is.
What the archive shows
148 messages in this archive use “Mines and mine danger areas”, the earliest issued 1982-09-10 and the latest 2026-06-19. 6 of them are in force in the latest lists we collected. A hazard reported again and again counts once per message.
The largest yearly count is 1999, with 14 messages. Collection is incomplete between 2024-05 and 2026-08-17, so 2024, 2025 and 2026 are not comparable with fully collected years.
Mines accounts for 63 of 148 recorded messages (43%), the largest warning type group in this selection.
Located messages that use it fall in 22 sea areas; the most frequent are Black Sea (27), English Channel (16) and North Sea (10).
Messages that use it are issued most often in March (24 across all years) and least often in January (4).
By warning series: HYDROLANT 108, HYDROPAC 24, NAVAREA IV 6 and NOAAORR 4, and 4 more.
Messages using it, by year of issue
By month of issue, all years
Where it appears · 22 sea areas
In force now · 6
- HYDROPAC 1772/26 · Mines · Persian Gulf2026-06-18 · in force
STRAIT OF HORMUZ. OMAN. 1. MINE REPORTED IN 26-24.58N 056-20.67E. 2. CANCEL HYDROPAC 1586/26.
Mine reported in 26-24.58N 056-20.67E → - HYDROLANT 361/25 · Mines2025-02-28 · in force
BLACK SEA. DNC 10. 1. MINES ADRIFT REPORTED IN NORTHWESTERN, WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN BLACK SEA. VESSELS IN VICINITY…
Mines adrift reported in northwestern, western and southwestern black sea → - HYDROLANT 2088/24 · Mines · Black Sea2024-09-30 · in force
BLACK SEA. ROMANIA. DNC 10. 1. DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF MINES, ALL VESSELS APPROACHING AND DEPARTING ROMANIAN PORTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE THE…
Due to the presence of mines, all vessels approaching and departing romanian ports are encouraged to use the… → - HYDROLANT 2017/23 · Mines · Black Sea2023-09-07 · in force
BLACK SEA. ROMANIA. DNC 10. MINES REPORTED IN AREA WITHIN FIVE MILES OF 45-07.10N 030-09.70E.
Mines reported in area within five miles of 45-07.10N 030-09.70E → - NAVAREA III 122/22 · Mines2022-03-22 · in force
BLACK SEA. 1.- POSSIBLE DRIFTING MINES IN THE NORTHWEST, WEST AND SOUTHWEST AREAS OF THE BLACK SEA, CAUTION IS ADVISED. 2.-…
Possible drifting mines in the northwest, west and southwest areas of the black sea, caution is advised → - NAVAREA III 92/22 · Mines · Black Sea2022-02-25 · in force
BLACK SEA NORTHWESTERN PART. 1.- DUE TO MINE DANGER NAVIGATION PROHIBITED UNTILL FURTHER NOTICE IN AREA BOUNDED BY: A 46-04.0N…
Due to mine danger navigation prohibited untill further notice in area bounded by: a 46-04.0N 033-12.8E… →
How it reads in recent messages
- HYDROPAC 261/25 · Other · Persian Gulf2025-02-01
PERSIAN GULF. SAUDI ARABIA. DNC 10. 1. MINE HUNTING OPEATIONS 0400Z TO 1400Z DAILY 02 THRU 27 FEB IN AREA BOUND BY 26-12.78N…
Mine hunting opeations 0400Z to 1400Z daily 02 thru 27 feb in area bound by 26-12.78N 050-45.55E, 26-12.77N… → - NOAAORR-10867 · Spills · The Coastal Waters of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia2024-11-04
Potential Mine Tailings Release near Hyder, AK. Hyder, AK, USA. 1. On Monday 11/4/2024, USCG Sector…
Hyder, ak, USA → - HYDROLANT 558/24 · Mines · Black Sea2024-03-16
BLACK SEA. ROMANIA. DNC 10. 1. MINE ADRIFT IN VICINITY 44-51.09N 029-59.29E AT 161236Z MAR. 2. CANCEL THIS MSG 191637Z MAR…
Mine adrift in vicinity 44-51.09N 029-59.29E at 161236Z mar → - HYDROLANT 463/24 · Mines · Black Sea2024-03-06
BLACK SEA. ROMANIA. DNC 10. 1. MINE ADRIFT IN VICNITY 43-54.01N 028-39.06E AT 061545Z MAR. 2. CANCEL THIS MSG 091816Z MAR…
Mine adrift in vicnity 43-54.01N 028-39.06E at 061545Z mar → - HYDROLANT 2422/23 · Mines · Black Sea2023-10-23
BLACK SEA. ROMANIA. DNC 10. 1. MINE REPORTED ADRIFT IN 45-04.00N 029-57.00E AT 231511Z OCT. 2. CANCEL THIS MSG 261953Z OCT…
Mine reported adrift in 45-04.00N 029-57.00E at 231511Z oct →
Earliest in the archive
- HYDROLANT 1535/82 · Mines1982-09-10
1. MINE CLEARANCE WORK IN THE AREA OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS HAS NOW BEEN COMPLETED AND OTHER…
Mine clearance work in the area of the falkland islands has now been completed and other hazards to shipping… →
Often in the same message
Related terms
- Unexploded ordnance
- Bombs, shells, mines or torpedoes found on the seabed or washed up, and the operations to remove or destroy them.
- Adrift
- Loose and moving with wind and current — a vessel, container, buoy, log or anything else no longer secured.
- Safety zone / exclusion zone
- An area ships must stay out of, or may only enter with permission, for safety or security.
Warning types that use it
Counts cover the messages in this archive that use the term, recounted 2026-09-24; see coverage for what is collected and since when. Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA and coastal broadcasts.