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 2602/19 · Exercises2019-08-13 → 2019-08-16
    Hazardous operations 150001Z to 150230Z aug, alternate 160001Z to 160230Z aug in area bound by 11-45N…
  2. HYDROPAC 2598/19 · Cable ops2019-08-12 → 2019-08-16
    Cable operations in progress until 16 aug by M/V aniek in area bound by 20-50N 119-30E, 20-45N 119-28E,…
  3. HYDROPAC 2585/19 · Surveys2019-08-10 → 2019-08-11
    Underwater operations in progress until 111200Z aug by M/V aniek in area bound by 21-37N 119-36E, 21-41N…
  4. HYDROPAC 2544/19 · Surveys2019-08-08 → 2019-08-11
    Underwater operations in progress until 10 aug by M/V aniek in area bound by 21-37N 119-36E, 21-41N 119-32E,…
  5. HYDROPAC 2504/19 · Surveys2019-08-05 → 2019-10-19
    Survey operations in progress until 31 jan 20 by M/V ramform hyperion towing 16 8100 meter long cables in…
  6. HYDROPAC 2497/19 · Surveys2019-08-05 → 2019-09-09
    Survey operations in progress until 14 sep by M/V sw vespucci towing five mile long cable in area bound by…
  7. HYDROPAC 2486/19 · Surveys2019-08-03 → 2019-08-08
    Underwater operations 04 thru 08 aug by M/V aniek in area bound by 21-37N 119-36E, 21-41N 119-32E, 21-58N…
  8. HYDROPAC 2485/19 · Other2019-08-03 → 2019-08-23
    Two persons overboard from F/V cm 94960 ts in 08-25N 104-51E at 012230Z aug
  9. HYDROPAC 2449/19 · Wrecks2019-07-31 → 2019-08-16
    Vessel km sinar harapan aground in 01-52S 107-55E at 302100Z jul
  10. HYDROPAC 2446/19 · Wrecks2019-07-31 → 2019-08-16
    Vessel kn sinar harapan, aground and taking on water in vicinity 01-52N 107-55E at 302100Z jul
  11. HYDROPAC 2424/19 · Missiles2019-07-29 → 2019-08-07
    Hazardous operations, rocket launching 310500Z to 310900Z jul, alternate 060500Z to 060900Z, 070500Z to…
  12. HYDROPAC 2363/19 · Piracy2019-07-23 → 2019-07-30
    M/V attacked in 02-55.8N 105-10.8E at 211925Z jul
  13. HYDROPAC 2355/19 · Exercises2019-07-22 → 2019-07-24
    Gunnery exercises: a. 230830Z to 230840Z jul, alternate 240830Z to 240840Z jul in area bound by 16-18.35N…
  14. HYDROPAC 2343/19 · Wrecks2019-07-20 → 2021-07-16
    Dangerous wreck in 19-32.33N 107-42.27E
  15. HYDROPAC 2307/19 · Exercises2019-07-16 → 2019-07-17
    Hazardous operations 180030Z to 180130Z, 180730Z to 180930Z and 192330Z to 200100Z jul in area bound by…
  16. HYDROPAC 2301/19 · Exercises2019-07-16 → 2019-07-20
    Hazardous operations 180030Z to 180130Z, 180730Z to 180930Z, 192330Z to 200100Z jul in area bound by…
  17. HYDROPAC 2238/19 · Derelicts2019-07-10 → 2019-07-14
    F/V bd 99668 ts disabled and adrift in 09-56N 114-33E at 100030Z jul
  18. HYDROPAC 2224/19 · Wrecks2019-07-09 → 2020-07-24
    Dangerous wreck in 10-31.25N 108-28.73E
  19. HYDROPAC 2223/19 · Derelicts2019-07-09 → 2020-01-17
    Derelict F/V bt 99263 sunk and oil slick at 081030Z jul within 100 meters of 10-31.25N 108-28.73E
  20. HYDROPAC 2158/19 · Derelicts2019-07-02 → 2019-10-18
    F/V dna 90099TS disabled and anchored in 18-44N 107-18E

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