NAVAREA
One of the 21 ocean areas of the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service, each with a coordinator that broadcasts long-range warnings.
The World-Wide Navigational Warning Service, run jointly by the International Maritime Organization and the International Hydrographic Organization, divides the oceans into 21 NAVAREAs, numbered in Roman numerals. Each has a coordinating country that collects reports of dangers in its area and broadcasts them as NAVAREA warnings, numbered in sequence through the year: NAVAREA IV 586/26 is the 586th warning of 2026 in the western North Atlantic.
NAVAREA warnings are the long-range layer of the system. They are meant for ships on passage and cover dangers far from any coast; coastal and local warnings, often sent by NAVTEX, cover the waters closer in. The United States coordinates NAVAREA IV and NAVAREA XII, which is why so many of the messages in this archive come from the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
A NAVAREA number in a warning's text usually appears in one of two places: in the heading that identifies the message, or in a line that cancels or refers to another NAVAREA warning.
What the archive shows
10,371 messages in this archive use “NAVAREA”, the earliest issued 1993-07-08 and the latest 2026-09-23. 38 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 2022, with 971 messages. Collection is incomplete between 2024-05 and 2026-08-17, so 2024, 2025 and 2026 are not comparable with fully collected years.
Other accounts for 5,439 of 10,371 recorded messages (52%), the largest warning type group in this selection.
Located messages that use it fall in 39 sea areas; the most frequent are North Pacific Ocean (2,003), North Atlantic Ocean (1,332) and Gulf of Mexico (358).
Its use is spread fairly evenly through the year: the busiest month, September, has 1,056 messages and the quietest, February, 718.
By warning series: NAVAREA IV 5,311, NAVAREA XII 4,805, HYDROLANT 139 and HYDROPAC 69, and 8 more.
Messages using it, by year of issue
By month of issue, all years
Where it appears · 39 sea areas
In force now · 38
- NAVAREA XII 639/26 · Surveys · Bering Sea2026-09-17 · in force
…15 METERS, ESTABLISHED IN: A. 65-46.86N 168-34.06W. B. 65-44.75N 168-15.76W. 2. CANCEL NAVAREA XII 422/25.
Scientific moorings, at depth 15 meters, established in: a. 65-46.86N 168-34.06W → - NAVAREA IV 898/26 · Surveys · Caribbean Sea2026-09-17 · in force
1. NAVAREA IV MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS POSITIONS AT 171600Z SEP: A. AGOSTO 12 19-23.0N…
NAVAREA IV mobile offshore drilling units positions at 171600Z sep: a. agosto 12 19-23.0N 092-03.1W → - NAVAREA III 139/26 · Surveys · Black Sea2026-09-12 · in force
…15.53 E 10 NM. WIDE BERTH REQUESTED. 2. CANCEL THIS MESSAGE 192059Z OCT 26. 3.- CANCEL NAVAREA III 0121/26 AND THIS PARAGRAPH.
1- drilling operations by yildirim rig (imo 9705469, mmsi 271053959), supported by ertugrul bey, aybuke,… → - NAVAREA III 132/26 · Surveys · Black Sea2026-09-03 · in force
…030-10.91E 10 MN BERTH REQUESTED CANCEL THIS PARAGRAPH 232359 UTC MAR 27. 2.- CANCEL NAVAREA III 0105/26 AND THIS PARAGRAPH.
Drilling operations by fatih platform (imo 9503770 → - NAVAREA III 128/26 · Surveys · Black Sea2026-08-27 · in force
…N - 031 11.98 E 10 MN RECEIPT REQUIRED 2.- CANCEL THIS MSG 112059 UTC NOV 26 3.- CANCEL NAVAREA III 0102/26 AND THIS PARAGRAPH
Drilling operations by yavuz rig (imo 9503768, mmsi 271046765) supported by osman bey, aybuke, florya,… → - NAVAREA 7 246/26 · Cable ops · South Atlantic Ocean2026-08-24 · in force
NAVAREA VII 246 OF 2026 (24 AUG 26) 1. SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN - NE SECTOR - OFFSHORE ORANGE RIVER…
NAVAREA VII 246 of 2026 (24 aug 26) 1. south atlantic ocean - ne sector - offshore orange river mouth 2.… →
How it reads in recent messages
- NAVAREA XII 657/26 · Missiles2026-09-23
…170-10.00E, 28-28.00N 164-59.00E, 26-39.00N 156-15.00E, 23-28.00N 144-48.00E. 2. CANCEL NAVAREA XII 655/26. 3. CANCEL THIS MSG 041933Z OCT 26.
Hazardous operations, space debris 1427Z to 1833Z daily 28 sep thru 04 oct in area bound by 23-55.00N… → - NAVAREA XII 654/26 · Nav aids · Gulf of Alaska2026-09-22
…AND MF TRANSMIT CAPABILITIES UNRELIABLE 1600Z TO 0030Z DAILY 23 THRU 25 SEP. 2. CANCEL NAVAREA XII 259/25. 3. CANCEL THIS MSG 250130Z SEP 26.
Uscg remote communication facility kodiak 57-46.00N 152-34.00W hf and mf transmit capabilities unreliable… → - NAVAREA IV 917/26 · Nav aids · Caribbean Sea2026-09-21
…1. CHUPARA POINT LIGHT IN 10-48.72N 061-21.86W CHANGED TO FL 10 SEC 12 MILES. 2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 907/26 AND 161/26.
Trinidad and tobago → - NAVAREA II 335/26 · Towing · Celtic Sea2026-09-20
…TOW 600 METRES LAST KNOWN POSITION : 48-42N 007-14W AT 201422 UTC SEP 26 CONVOY OUT OF NAVAREA II
Towing operations → - NAVAREA 7 266/26 · Spills · Mozambique Channel2026-09-19
NAVAREA VII 266 OF 2026 : (19 SEP 26) 1. INDIAN OCEAN - SW SECTOR - MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL 2. CHARTS…
NAVAREA VII 266 of 2026 : (19 sep 26) 1. indian ocean - sw sector - mozambique channel 2. charts san 1, 3 3.… → - NAVAREA 19 117/26 · Other2026-09-18
1. CANCEL NAVAREA XIX 111/26 2. CANCEL THIS WARNINGS
Cancel NAVAREA XIX 111/26 2. cancel this warnings → - NAVAREA 7 265/26 · Other · South Atlantic Ocean2026-09-18
NAVAREA VII 265 OF 2026 : (18 SEP 26) 1. NAMIBIA - OFFSHORE ORANGE RIVER MOUTH 2. CHARTS SAN 75…
NAVAREA VII 265 of 2026 : (18 sep 26) 1. namibia - offshore orange river mouth 2. charts san 75 (int 2630),… → - NAVAREA 7 261/26 · Surveys · Indian Ocean2026-09-18
NAVAREA VII 261 OF 2026 : (18 SEP 26) 1. INDIAN OCEAN – SW SECTOR – OFFSHORE ILE DE LA REUNION…
NAVAREA VII 261 of 2026 : (18 sep 26) 1. indian ocean – sw sector – offshore ile de la reunion 2. chart san… →
Earliest in the archive
- NAVAREA XII 519/93 · Exercises · North Pacific Ocean1993-07-07
…157-53E. D. 18-14N 148-38E, 18-47N 149-43E, 18-16N 150-03E, 17-40N 148-59E. 2. CANCEL NAVAREA XII 505/93. 3. CANCEL THIS MSG 141000Z JUL.
Hazardous operations 140130Z to 140900Z jul in areas bound by: a. 35-13N 121-59W, 35-02N 120-46W, 34-45N… →
Often in the same message
Related terms
- HYDROLANT
- The U.S. long-range warning series for Atlantic waters outside NAVAREA IV, including the eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and adjoining seas.
- HYDROPAC
- The U.S. long-range warning series for the Pacific outside NAVAREA XII and for the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and adjoining seas.
- NAVTEX
- An automated medium-frequency radio service that sends coastal warnings as text to a small printer or screen on board.
- Maritime Safety Information (MSI)
- Navigational and meteorological warnings, forecasts and other urgent safety messages broadcast to ships.
- In force
- Currently valid: broadcast and not yet cancelled.
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.