Gulf of Mexico
IHO sea area 26 · -98° to -80° E, 17° to 31° N
- in force
- 8
- last 12 months
- 61
- archive messages
- 3,980
- categories
- 18
What the archive shows
3,980 messages are recorded since 1970-02-10 for the Gulf of Mexico. The selection uses the IHO sea area; a message may describe an exercise, equipment outage or continuing operation as well as a hazard report.
Spills accounts for 1,566 of 3,980 recorded messages (39%), 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 2021-04-02 00:21ZTonala Light at 18-12-45N 094-08-00W in Bay of Campeche, Mexico is unlit.
In force now · 8
- NAVAREA IV 662/26 · Nav aids2026-07-07The US Coast Guard remote communication facility in New Orleans (29-53N 89-57W) is off air for medium and high frequency digital selective calling.
- NAVAREA IV 53/26 · Wrecks2026-01-20Dangerous wreck in Gulf of America near Mexico at 25-14.24N 097-07.72W.
- NAVAREA IV 90/25 · Nav aids2025-01-16Santiaguillo Light in Bay of Campeche, Mexico, at 19-08.56N 095-48.48W is unlit.
- NAVAREA IV 702/24 · Nav aids2024-06-18In the Gulf of Mexico off Mexico, Punta de Piedra Light at 24-29.23N 097-44.56W is unlit.
- NAVAREA IV 701/24 · Nav aids2024-06-18Carbonera Light in the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, at 24-37.62N 097-42.97W is unlit.
- NAVAREA IV 778/21 · Nav aids2021-08-31La Barra Light in Bay of Campeche, Mexico, chart 28320, at 20-58.4N 097-18.5W, is unreliable.
- NAVAREA IV 278/21 · Nav aids2021-04-02Roca Partida light in Bay of Campeche, Mexico, is unlit.
- NAVAREA IV 277/21 · Nav aids2021-04-02Tonala Light at 18-12-45N 094-08-00W in Bay of Campeche, Mexico is unlit.
Longest in force
- NAVAREA IV 277/21 · Nav aids2021-04-02Tonala Light at 18-12-45N 094-08-00W in Bay of Campeche, Mexico is unlit.
- NAVAREA IV 278/21 · Nav aids2021-04-02Roca Partida light in Bay of Campeche, Mexico, is unlit.
- NAVAREA IV 778/21 · Nav aids2021-08-31La Barra Light in Bay of Campeche, Mexico, chart 28320, at 20-58.4N 097-18.5W, is unreliable.
- NAVAREA IV 701/24 · Nav aids2024-06-18Carbonera Light in the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, at 24-37.62N 097-42.97W is unlit.
- NAVAREA IV 702/24 · Nav aids2024-06-18In the Gulf of Mexico off Mexico, Punta de Piedra Light at 24-29.23N 097-44.56W is unlit.
By year
70
73
75
78
79
81
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
By month (all years)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
By category · available archive
| Spills | 1,566 | 39% |
| Nav aids | 586 | 15% |
| Incidents | 457 | 11% |
| Exercises | 396 | 10% |
| Cable ops | 245 | 6% |
| Derelicts | 165 | 4% |
| Surveys | 162 | 4% |
| Other | 126 | 3% |
| Storms | 123 | 3% |
| Debris | 49 | 1% |
| Wrecks | 27 | 1% |
| Missiles | 27 | 1% |
| Towing | 16 | 0% |
| Quakes | 13 | 0% |
| Ordnance | 9 | 0% |
| Structures | 8 | 0% |
| Restricted | 3 | 0% |
| Containers | 2 | 0% |
Ports on this sea · 34
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.
- Houston (US-TX) · United States346 archived
- New Orleans · United States1 in force
- South Louisiana · United States1 in force
- Veracruz · Mexico1 in force
- Corpus Christi · United States153 archived
- Altamira · Mexico31 archived
- Beaumont · United States346 archived
- Port Arthur · United States348 archived
- Mobile · United States167 archived
- Coatzacoalcos · Mexico2 in force
- Freeport (US-FL) · United States386 archived
- Tampa Port · United States238 archived
- Lake Charles · United States192 archived
- Texas City · United States429 archived
- Tampico · Mexico38 archived
Archive · 3,972 cancelled
- NAVAREA IV 933/26 · Surveys2026-09-26 → 2026-09-28Survey operations in progress until further notice by M/V island frontier in area bound by 27-14.19N…
- NAVAREA IV 922/26 · Missiles2026-09-17 → 2026-09-23Rocket launching causes hazardous operations in the Gulf of America, Yucatan Channel, and Texas on 28 September and daily 29 September to 4 October from 1215Z to 1414Z.
- NAVAREA IV 897/26 · Missiles2026-09-15 → 2026-09-17Hazardous rocket launching operations occur in the Gulf of America, Yucatan Channel, and near Texas September 22 through 28, daily 1215 to 1414.
- NOAAORR-11216 · Spills2026-09-08 → 2026-09-22Mystery oil sheens appear at Eugene Island Block 316, Gulf of America, Louisiana, at 28.263N 091.618W since early August 2026; source remains unidentified.
- NOAAORR-11217 · Spills2026-09-08 → 2026-09-22A sheen is detected at a Creole Operating wellhead one mile south of the shoreline in West Cameron Block 2, near Cameron, Louisiana, on September 8, 2026.
- NOAAORR-11211 · Spills2026-08-26 → 2026-09-09On August 27, 2026, crude oil spill releases 150 barrels from flowline at South Pass 24 near Pilottown, Louisiana; cleanup is underway and in-situ burn is proposed.
- NOAAORR-11210 · Spills2026-08-25 → 2026-09-08Intermittent oil sheen is reported at Bright Bank, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 27.876N 093.297W, since August 6, 2026; source unidentified.
- NOAAORR-11207 · Spills2026-08-24 → 2026-09-07A mysterious sulfur-smelling gas release causes bubbling in Mobile Bay near Dauphin Island, Alabama, on August 24, 2026, close to a natural gas pipeline at 30.303N 088.034W.
- NAVAREA IV 817/26 · Surveys2026-08-22 → 2026-08-24Survey operations continue in the Gulf of America off Louisiana until 31 Dec, with three vessels towing 400-meter cables; wide berth requested.
- NAVAREA IV 813/26 · Nav aids2026-08-22 → 2026-08-24In Gulf of America, Louisiana, U.S. Coast Guard New Orleans remote communication facility at 29-53N 089-57W has unreliable high-frequency digital selective calling services as of August 21, 2026.
- NAVAREA IV 807/26 · Cable ops2026-08-20 → 2026-08-19From August 25 to September 8, the cableship Wave Sentinel is conducting cable operations near 29-12.78N 087-58.33W in the Gulf of America, requesting wide berth.
- NOAAORR-11200 · Spills2026-08-13 → 2026-08-27Mystery sheen at south pass 29; port eads, louisiana
- NOAAORR-11199 · Spills2026-08-11 → 2026-08-25Satellite detection of mystery sheens; howell hook, gulf of america
- NAVAREA IV 762/26 · Surveys2026-08-06 → 2026-08-22Survey operations are in progress until 31 December by vessel Island Frontier in the Gulf of America off Louisiana; wide berth requested.
- NAVAREA IV 737/26 · Nav aids2026-07-29 → 2026-08-21U.S. Coast Guard remote communication facility at New Orleans, Louisiana is off air for high-frequency digital selective calling.
- NOAAORR-11193 · Spills2026-07-28 → 2026-08-11Release of aluminum phosphide in M/V thorco liva; port arthur, texas
- NOAAORR-11184 · Spills2026-07-10 → 2026-07-24Mystery oiled shoreline at holly beach; cameron parish, louisiana
- NOAAORR-11180 · Spills2026-06-25 → 2026-07-09Potential mystery oil source; 100 miles off key west, florida
- NOAAORR-11173 · Spills2026-06-17 → 2026-07-01Johnson bayou, la
- NAVAREA IV 587/26 · Surveys2026-06-15 → 2026-09-23Survey operations by vessels Island Pride, Sanco Swift, and Olympic Artemis are underway until September 15 in the Gulf of America; wide berth requested.
Sea boundaries: Flanders Marine Institute (2018), IHO Sea Areas v3, marineregions.org (CC BY 4.0). Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA / coastal broadcasts.