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 3497/19 · Exercises2019-10-23 → 2019-10-26
    Gunnery exercises 250001Z to 250230Z, alternate 260001Z to 260230Z oct, in area bound by 12-00N 109-41E,…
  2. HYDROPAC 3491/19 · Cable ops2019-10-23 → 2019-10-27
    Cable operations 231000Z oct until further notice by cableship rene descartes in vicinity of trackline…
  3. HYDROPAC 3466/19 · Piracy2019-10-21 → 2019-10-28
    M/V attacked by pirates in 01-03.5N 103-38.7E at 191700Z oct
  4. HYDROPAC 3464/19 · Exercises2019-10-21 → 2019-10-25
    Hazardous operations 222330Z to 251430Z oct in areas bound by: p. 08-50.53N 112-35.55E, 08-52.65N…
  5. HYDROPAC 3463/19 · Exercises2019-10-21 → 2019-10-25
    Hazardous operations 222330Z to 251430Z oct in areas bound by: a. 08-38.78N 111-55.03E, 08-38.91N…
  6. HYDROPAC 3456/19 · Exercises2019-10-20 → 2019-10-24
    Hazardous operations 212300Z to 221700Z oct, alternate 0500Z to 1700Z daily 23 and 24 oct in area bound by…
  7. HYDROPAC 3455/19 · Exercises2019-10-20 → 2019-10-24
    Hazardous operations in areas bound by: a. 220001Z to 220300Z, 0001Z to 0300Z daily 23 and 24 oct 20-42.6N…
  8. HYDROPAC 3423/19 · Other2019-10-17 → 2019-10-19
    Hazardous operation 180100Z to 181000Z oct, alternate 190100Z to 191000Z oct in area within one mile of…
  9. HYDROPAC 3415/19 · Exercises2019-10-17 → 2019-11-09
    Hazardous operations: a. 190030Z to 190130Z oct, alternate 190730Z to 190830Z oct in area bound by 09-02.58N…
  10. HYDROPAC 3396/19 · Surveys2019-10-15 → 2019-12-16
    Survey operations in progress until 15 dec by M/V sw vespucci towing ten 8100 meter long cables in area…
  11. HYDROPAC 3334/19 · Exercises2019-10-09 → 2019-10-10
    Hazardous operations 092300Z to 101030Z in area bound by 10-04.8N 107-02.5E, 10-08.8N 107-02.5E, 10-08.8N…
  12. HYDROPAC 3327/19 · Exercises2019-10-09 → 2019-10-10
    Hazardous operations 2300Z to 1030Z commencing daily 07 thru 09 oct in area bound by 10-08.75N 107-02.50E,…
  13. HYDROPAC 3321/19 · Other2019-10-08 → 2019-11-01
    F/V na 90604 ts reports crewman with stab wound in the stomach in 19-00N 106-13E
  14. HYDROPAC 3308/19 · Cable ops2019-10-07 → 2019-10-17
    Cable operations 071500Z to 171459Z oct by cableship lodbrog in vicinity of trackline joining 19-48.7N…
  15. HYDROPAC 3296/19 · Surveys2019-10-05 → 2019-11-16
    Survey operations 07 oct to 30 nov by M/V polacus asimia towing ten 8500 meter long cables in area bound by…
  16. HYDROPAC 3255/19 · Piracy2019-10-02 → 2019-10-09
    M/V approached by pirates in 01-02.7N 103-39.0E at 301515Z sep
  17. HYDROPAC 3249/19 · Exercises2019-10-01 → 2019-10-04
    Hazardous operations 022300Z to 030300Z, alternate 032300Z to 040300Z oct in area bound by 12-11.30N…
  18. HYDROPAC 3192/19 · Wrecks2019-09-27 → 2020-01-17
    Dangerous wreck in 10-27.14N 107-44.99E
  19. HYDROPAC 3180/19 · Wrecks2019-09-26 → 2019-09-27
    M/V viet dung 36 sank in 10-27.14N 107-44.99E
  20. HYDROPAC 3157/19 · Derelicts2019-09-25 → 2019-09-28
    Derelict M/V viet dung 36, taking on water and adrift in 10-27.14N 107-44.99E at 242300Z sep

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