South China Sea

IHO sea area 49 · 102° to 122° E, -3° to 26° N

in force
10
last 12 months
6
since 1993
2,321
categories
13

In force now · 10

  1. HYDROPAC 2249/26 · Surveys2026-08-06
    Survey operations by vessel PXGEO 2 towing eight 5-mile cables continue until 31 December in Gulf of Thailand and South China Sea; wide berth requested.
  2. NAVAREA XI 356/26 · Cable ops2026-08-06
    Seismic survey by vessel PXGEO 2 towing eight 5-mile cables in the southern Gulf of Thailand and South China Sea until 31 December 2026.
  3. HYDROPAC 2099/26 · Cable ops2026-07-21
    Cable operations are underway in the East China Sea by the cableship ILE DE RE until further notice; wide berth requested.
  4. NAVAREA XI 329/26 · Cable ops2026-07-21
    Cable ship Ile de Re is laying submarine cable in the Taiwan Strait until further notice.
  5. HYDROPAC 2412/25 · Wrecks2025-09-19
    Dangerous wreck in South China Sea off Vietnam at 10-22.31N 107-46.96E.
  6. NAVAREA XI 437/25 · Wrecks2025-09-19
    Sunken wreck exists in northern South China Sea at 10-22.31N 107-46.96E.
  7. NAVAREA XI 435/23 · Nav aids2023-12-04
    The Manila NAVTEX station at 14 degrees 30.3 minutes north, 121 degrees 3.9 minutes east is inoperative until further notice.
  8. NAVAREA XI 153/20 · Wrecks2020-04-06
    A yellow observation buoy is reported at 19-20.6N 113-45.9E in the northern South China Sea on 04 Apr.
  9. NAVAREA XI 664/19 · Wrecks2019-11-21
    An oil rig is reported to exist in the southern South China Sea at 07-42.1N 107-55.8E.
  10. NAVAREA XI 132/19 · Wrecks2019-03-07
    An oil rig is reported at 07-47.5N 108-12.0E in the southern South China Sea, and previous warnings are cancelled.

Longest in force

  1. NAVAREA XI 132/19 · Wrecks2019-03-07
    An oil rig is reported at 07-47.5N 108-12.0E in the southern South China Sea, and previous warnings are cancelled.
  2. NAVAREA XI 664/19 · Wrecks2019-11-21
    An oil rig is reported to exist in the southern South China Sea at 07-42.1N 107-55.8E.
  3. NAVAREA XI 153/20 · Wrecks2020-04-06
    A yellow observation buoy is reported at 19-20.6N 113-45.9E in the northern South China Sea on 04 Apr.
  4. NAVAREA XI 435/23 · Nav aids2023-12-04
    The Manila NAVTEX station at 14 degrees 30.3 minutes north, 121 degrees 3.9 minutes east is inoperative until further notice.
  5. NAVAREA XI 437/25 · Wrecks2025-09-19
    Sunken wreck exists in northern South China Sea at 10-22.31N 107-46.96E.

By year

93
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 · since 1997

Cable ops57025%
Exercises56024%
Other30713%
Derelicts30313%
Wrecks1547%
Piracy1376%
Surveys1356%
Nav aids502%
Missiles492%
Containers352%
Debris131%
Towing70%
Volcanic10%

Archive · 2,311 cancelled

  1. HYDROPAC 484/99 · Cable ops1999-05-31 → 1999-06-20
    Cable laying operations 03 thru 19 jun by M/V nexus along trackline joining 23-13N 116-41E, 22-00N 118-12E,…
  2. HYDROPAC 465/99 · Cable ops1999-05-26 → 1999-05-31
    Cable laying operations 30 may thru 13 jun by M/V nexus along trackline joining 23-13N 116-41E, 22-00N…
  3. HYDROPAC 438/99 · Cable ops1999-05-20 → 1999-05-26
    Cable laying operations in progress until 25 may by M/V nexus along trackline joining 21-28N 119-55E, 21-24N…
  4. HYDROPAC 434/99 · Cable ops1999-05-20 → 1999-05-20
    Cable laying operations in progress until 25 may by M/V nexus along trackline joining 22-16N 120-39E, 22-01N…
  5. HYDROPAC 421/99 · Cable ops1999-05-15 → 1999-05-20
    Cable laying operations 20 thru 31 may by cableship nexus along trackline joining 22-16N 120-39E, 22-01N…
  6. HYDROPAC 353/99 · Cable ops1999-04-29 → 1999-05-06
    Cable laying operations 04 thru 12 may by cableship nexus along trackline joining 23-13N 116-41E, 22-00N…
  7. HYDROPAC 332/99 · Surveys1999-04-23 → 1999-07-11
    Survey operations in progress until 10 jul by M/V seabulk ross seal towing 4500 meter long cable in areas…
  8. HYDROPAC 317/99 · Exercises1999-04-19 → 1999-04-29
    Gunnery exercises 272300Z to 292300Z apr in area bound by 02-30N 104-17E, 02-30N 105-30E, 01-30N 105-30E,…
  9. HYDROPAC 309/99 · Cable ops1999-04-16 → 1999-04-30
    Cable laying operations 20 thru 29 apr by cableship nexus along trackline joining 22-16N 120-39E, 22-01N…
  10. HYDROPAC 262/99 · Nav aids1999-04-04 → 1999-04-16
    Cable buoy, yellow, qw with ra ref established in 14-53.4N 118-29.3E
  11. HYDROPAC 233/99 · Exercises1999-03-26 → 1999-04-01
    Gunnery exercises 302300Z mar to 012300Z apr in area bound by 02-30N 104-17E, 02-30N 105-30E, 01-30N…
  12. HYDROPAC 210/99 · Exercises1999-03-18 → 1999-03-27
    Gunnery exercises 222300Z to 231100Z, 232300Z to 252300Z and 270001Z to 270600Z mar in area bound by 02-30N…
  13. HYDROPAC 184/99 · Other1999-03-10 → 1999-03-15
    Underwater ordnance detonations 150001Z to 150900Z mar within five miles of: a. 19-30N 114-30E
  14. HYDROPAC 168/99 · Exercises1999-03-02 → 1999-03-05
    Gunnery exercises 030001Z to 042300Z mar in area bound by 02-30N 104-17E, 02-30N 105-30E, 01-30N 105-30E,…
  15. HYDROPAC 157/99 · Exercises1999-02-28 → 1999-03-01
    Gunnery exercises 010001Z to 011100Z mar in area bound by 02-30N 104-17E, 02-30N 105-30E, 01-30N 105-30E,…
  16. HYDROPAC 148/99 · Cable ops1999-02-23 → 1999-03-07
    Submarine cable operations 251200Z feb to 071200Z mar by cableship vercors within five miles of: a. 17-55.7N…
  17. HYDROPAC 116/99 · Cable ops1999-02-09 → 1999-02-14
    Cable operations in progress until 13 feb by cableship vercors within two miles of a line between 00-56.8N…
  18. HYDROPAC 106/99 · Cable ops1999-02-06 → 1999-02-09
    Cable operations 070800Z to 150001Z feb by cableship vercors within two miles of: a. 00-27.8N 104-41.7E b.…
  19. HYDROPAC 99/99 · Derelicts1999-02-04 → 1999-03-19
    44 meter barge adrift in vicinity 11-11.3N 109-12.0E at 030300Z feb
  20. HYDROPAC 79/99 · Cable ops1999-01-28 → 1999-01-30
    Underwater cable operations in progress until further notice by cableship fresnel in 00-38.2N 103-46.2E

Sea boundaries: Flanders Marine Institute (2018), IHO Sea Areas v3, marineregions.org (CC BY 4.0). Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA / coastal broadcasts.