Arafura Sea
IHO sea area 48h · 131° to 142° E, -18° to -3° N
- in force
- 1
- last 12 months
- 6
- archive messages
- 607
- categories
- 10
What the archive shows
607 messages are recorded since 1998-12-29 for the Arafura Sea. The selection uses the IHO sea area; a message may describe an exercise, equipment outage or continuing operation as well as a hazard report.
Incidents accounts for 193 of 607 recorded messages (32%), the largest category group in this selection.
The NGA historical archive froze in 2024-05; live collection began 2026-08-17. Counts around that gap are incomplete, and changes in reporting volume do not establish changes in incident frequency.
- An older warning still listed in force · issued 2026-08-03 01:13ZA ten-meter derelict vessel is adrift at 11-55.02S 141-54.27E in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia, as of 020629Z Aug.
In force now · 1
Longest in force
By year
By month (all years)
By category · available archive
| Incidents | 193 | 32% |
| Nav aids | 129 | 21% |
| Derelicts | 119 | 20% |
| Debris | 63 | 10% |
| Other | 49 | 8% |
| Quakes | 29 | 5% |
| Cable ops | 10 | 2% |
| Wrecks | 8 | 1% |
| Containers | 6 | 1% |
| Surveys | 1 | 0% |
Ports on this sea · 5
Busiest first by annual vessel calls (IMF PortWatch); each port page shows the warnings within 60 nm, its World Port Index profile and monthly port calls.
- Weipa · Australia1 in force
- Amamapare · Indonesia9 archived
- Gove · Australia30 archived
- Merauke · Indonesia3 archived
- Milner Bay · Australia22 archived
Archive · 606 cancelled
- HYDROPAC 2736/26 · Nav aids2026-09-22 → 2026-09-23Duyfken Point Light in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia, at 12-34.15S 141-35.98E is unlit, and Hydropac warning 2725/26 is cancelled.
- AUSCOAST 299/26 · Nav aids2026-09-21 → 2026-09-28Duyfken Point Light K3297 at 12-34.15S 141-35.98E is unlit.
- AUSCOAST 298/26 · Nav aids2026-09-20 → 2026-09-21The Duyfken Point light at 12-34.15S 141-35.98E is unreliable.
- AUSCOAST 282/26 · Other2026-08-21 → 2026-08-21Booby Island weather station at position 10-36.15S 141-54.61E is inoperative.
- AUSCOAST 281/26 · Other2026-08-21 → 2026-08-21Booby Island tide gauge at position 10-36.15S 141-54.61E is inoperative.
- HYDROPAC 3740/24 · Nav aids2024-12-06 → 2025-06-16Booby island light 10-36.30S 141-54.70E unreliable
- HYDROPAC 1531/24 · Nav aids2024-05-08 → 2026-08-14Stevens Island Light in Arafura Sea, Australia (11-32.70S 136-07.29E) is unlit.
- HYDROPAC 1526/24 · Nav aids2024-05-07 → 2026-08-14North East Islet Light in Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia is unlit, cancelling HYDROPAC 1518/24(81).
- HYDROPAC 1486/24 · Incidents2024-05-04 → 2024-05-04Distress signal received from 13 meter S/V avenue blue, three persons onboard, in 11-35.00S 136-17.00E at…
- HYDROPAC 986/24 · Derelicts2024-03-26 → 2024-03-29Derelict F/V, partially submerged and adrift in 10-21.11S 131-33.11E at 260201Z mar
- HYDROPAC 802/24 · Incidents2024-03-11 → 2024-03-11F/V km lomba 02, blue and white hull, nine persons on board, unreported
- HYDROPAC 725/24 · Derelicts2024-03-04 → 2024-03-07Derelict nine meter lifeboat adrift in vicinity 09-08.60S 132-48.00E at 0404418Z mar
- HYDROPAC 716/24 · Derelicts2024-03-03 → 2024-03-04Lifeboat, 9 meters, adrift in vicinity 09-11.70S 132-35.30E at 030712Z mar
- HYDROPAC 698/24 · Derelicts2024-03-01 → 2024-03-04Derelict nine meter lifeboat adrift in 09-03.25S 131-02.75E at 010238Z mar
- HYDROPAC 695/24 · Derelicts2024-03-01 → 2024-03-0315 meter F/V adrift in vicinity 09-39.07S 135-58.66E at 292205Z feb
- HYDROPAC 691/24 · Derelicts2024-02-29 → 2024-03-01Derelict nine meter lifeboat adrift in 09-02.21S 131-46.53E at 290424Z feb
- HYDROPAC 534/24 · Derelicts2024-02-15 → 2024-02-18Derelict nine meter vessel adrift in 08-21.00S 131-28.00E at 142324Z feb
- HYDROPAC 531/24 · Incidents2024-02-15 → 2024-02-15Distress signal received from vessel koan in 08-19.74S 131-31.98E at 141725Z feb
- HYDROPAC 119/24 · Wrecks2024-01-11 → 2026-08-14A dangerous wreck is located in Arafura Sea, Australia at 11-38.92S 134-02.54E as of January 4.
- HYDROPAC 45/24 · Incidents2024-01-04 → 2024-01-04Distress signal received from F/V angelina c in 11-36.13S 134-02.53E at 040846Z jan
Sea boundaries: Flanders Marine Institute (2018), IHO Sea Areas v3, marineregions.org (CC BY 4.0). Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA / coastal broadcasts.