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 2782/18 · Cable ops2018-07-31 → 2018-08-16
    Seismic survey in progress until 15 aug by M/V cgg amadeus towing seven 7000 meter long cables in area bound…
  2. HYDROPAC 2742/18 · Exercises2018-07-27 → 2018-08-31
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0900Z commencing daily 31 jul thru 02 aug, 05 thru 09, 12 thru 16, 19 thru 23 and…
  3. HYDROPAC 2741/18 · Exercises2018-07-27 → 2018-08-31
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0830Z commencing daily 31 jul thru 02 aug, 05 thru 09, 12 thru 16, 19 thru 23,…
  4. HYDROPAC 2739/18 · Exercises2018-07-27 → 2018-08-31
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 1000Z commencing daily 31 jul thru 02 aug, 05 thru 09, 12 thru 16, 19 thru 23 and…
  5. HYDROPAC 2737/18 · Other2018-07-27 → 2018-08-03
    M/V an phu 868, flooding in 10-29.50N 107-49.60E at 271232Z jul
  6. HYDROPAC 2606/18 · Wrecks2018-07-17 → 2018-09-07
    Dangerous wreck in 10-19.5N 107-07.2E
  7. HYDROPAC 2598/18 · Derelicts2018-07-16 → 2018-08-03
    190 foot M/V panoria disabled and adrift in 13-42.5N 114-52.9E
  8. HYDROPAC 2588/18 · Derelicts2018-07-15 → 2018-07-18
    Derelict 14 meter F/V qna 95039 ts adrift in vicinity 16-35.2N 107-37.2E
  9. HYDROPAC 2570/18 · Cable ops2018-07-13 → 2018-07-28
    Cable operations in progress until 27 jul by cableship ile de re in vicinity of trackline joining 01-10.8N…
  10. HYDROPAC 2558/18 · Exercises2018-07-13 → 2018-07-13
    Hazardous operations in progress until 130200Z jul in area bound by 17-10.00N 106-58.93E, 17-16.97N…
  11. HYDROPAC 2552/18 · Cable ops2018-07-12 → 2018-07-13
    Cable operations in progress until 27 jul by cableship ile de re in vicinity of trackline joining 01-10.8N…
  12. HYDROPAC 2516/18 · Exercises2018-07-09 → 2018-07-14
    Gunnery exercises 102330Z to 110015Z, 111100Z to 111140Z, 112330Z to 120200Z, 121100Z 121200Z jul, alternate…
  13. HYDROPAC 2515/18 · Derelicts2018-07-09 → 2018-07-27
    Vessel disabled and adrift in 07-50.1N 109-11.9E at 092304Z jul
  14. HYDROPAC 2511/18 · Wrecks2018-07-09 → 2018-09-07
    Dangerous wreck in vicinity 21-24.08N 108-02.70E
  15. HYDROPAC 2503/18 · Exercises2018-07-09 → 2018-07-14
    Hazardous operations 102330Z to 110015Z, 111100Z to 111140Z, 112330Z to 120200Z, 121100Z 121200Z jul,…
  16. HYDROPAC 2502/18 · Exercises2018-07-09 → 2018-07-12
    Hazardous operations 102330Z to 110300Z jul, alternate 112330Z to 120300Z jul in area bound by 11-59.02N…
  17. HYDROPAC 2501/18 · Other2018-07-09 → 2018-07-27
    M/V an phu 868, taking on water in 10-29.5N 107-49.6E
  18. HYDROPAC 2489/18 · Other2018-07-07 → 2018-07-09
    F/V bd 91079-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 15-27N 114-32E at 060600Z jul
  19. HYDROPAC 2487/18 · Other2018-07-07 → 2018-07-27
    Man overboad from F/V bth 96129 ts in 09-00N 107-51E at 062200Z jul
  20. HYDROPAC 2462/18 · Exercises2018-07-05 → 2018-07-07
    Hazardous operations 062300Z to 070400Z jul in area bound by 18-52.10N 105-41.07E, 18-55.70N 105-43.35E,…

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