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 4185/18 · Nav aids2018-11-22 → 2020-04-10
    Wave energy equipment, marked by four red lights, temporarily established in area bound by 16-51-32N…
  2. HYDROPAC 4176/18 · Derelicts2018-11-20 → 2018-11-23
    Derelict F/V, green hull, adrift in 07-16.4N 109-00.0E at 201020Z nov
  3. HYDROPAC 4167/18 · Missiles2018-11-19 → 2018-11-22
    Hazardous operations, rocket launching 210230Z to 210430Z nov, alternate 220230Z to 220430Z nov in area…
  4. HYDROPAC 4115/18 · Wrecks2018-11-14 → 2019-03-22
    Dangerous wreck in 20-42.30N 107-05.53E
  5. HYDROPAC 4105/18 · Exercises2018-11-14 → 2018-11-16
    Gunnery exercises 150100Z to 150330Z nov, alternate 160100Z to 160330Z nov in area bound by 11-57.55N…
  6. HYDROPAC 4099/18 · Exercises2018-11-13 → 2018-11-14
    Hazardous operations 140001Z to 140130Z nov, alternate 140700Z to 140800Z nov in area bound by 11-57.55N…
  7. HYDROPAC 4003/18 · Piracy2018-11-06 → 2018-11-13
    M/V attacked in 00-56.5N 105-06.8E at 042035Z nov
  8. HYDROPAC 3986/18 · Cable ops2018-11-04 → 2018-11-08
    Cable operations 041800Z to 102359Z nov by cableship lodbrog in area bound by 21-38.8N 114-33.8E, 21-39.0N…
  9. HYDROPAC 3950/18 · Exercises2018-10-31 → 2018-11-03
    Hazardous operations: a. 010001Z to 010200Z nov, alternate 020001Z to 020200Z nov in area bound by 11-57.62N…
  10. HYDROPAC 3905/18 · Nav aids2018-10-28 → 2019-01-04
    Tanjung gelang light 03-57.8N 103-26.3E unlit
  11. HYDROPAC 3895/18 · Exercises2018-10-27 → 2018-11-30
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0900Z commencing daily 31 oct, 01, 04 thru 08, 11 thru 15 and 25 thru 29 nov in…
  12. HYDROPAC 3894/18 · Exercises2018-10-27 → 2018-11-30
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0830Z commencing daily 31 oct, 01, 04, 08, 11 thru 15, 18 thru 22 and 25 thru 29…
  13. HYDROPAC 3893/18 · Exercises2018-10-27 → 2018-11-30
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 1000Z commencing daily 31 oct, 01, 04 thru 08, 11 thru 15, 18 thru 22 and 25 thru…
  14. HYDROPAC 3871/18 · Wrecks2018-10-25 → 2019-01-04
    Dangerous wreck in 20-39.5N 107-05E
  15. HYDROPAC 3863/18 · Other2018-10-24 → 2019-01-04
    Dao co to light 21-00.0N 107-45.4E range increased to 28 miles
  16. HYDROPAC 3859/18 · Surveys2018-10-24 → 2018-10-30
    Survey operations in progress until 29 oct by M/V equinox in 16-49.42N 108-24.84E
  17. HYDROPAC 3834/18 · Missiles2018-10-22 → 2018-10-24
    Hazardous operations, rocket launching 230230Z to 230430Z oct, alternate 240230Z to 240430Z oct in area…
  18. HYDROPAC 3833/18 · Exercises2018-10-21 → 2018-10-26
    Gunnery exercises 222330Z to 251430Z oct, alternate 252330Z to 261430Z oct in areas bound by: a. 10-24.52N…
  19. HYDROPAC 3832/18 · Exercises2018-10-21 → 2018-10-26
    Gunnery exercises 222330Z to 251430Z oct alternate 252330Z to 261430Z oct in areas bound by: a. 10-10.68N…
  20. HYDROPAC 3809/18 · Exercises2018-10-20 → 2018-10-27
    Gunnery exercises 212330Z to 220300Z, 240230Z to 240430Z, 240700Z to 240830Z, and 252330Z to 260300Z,…

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