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 1398/18 · Other2018-04-12 → 2018-04-15
    F/V bv 7669-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 15-00N 116-00E at 111000Z apr
  2. HYDROPAC 1397/18 · Exercises2018-04-12 → 2018-04-18
    Hazardous operations 170001Z to 170230Z apr, alternate 180001Z to 180230Z apr in area bound by 12-40.00N…
  3. HYDROPAC 1328/18 · Other2018-04-07 → 2018-04-09
    F/V dna 90532 ts reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 17-50N 112-10E at 070001Z apr
  4. HYDROPAC 1327/18 · Missiles2018-04-07 → 2018-04-14
    Hazardous operations, rocket launching 2200Z to 0600Z commencing daily 08 and 12 apr, alternate 092200Z to…
  5. HYDROPAC 1190/18 · Exercises2018-03-27 → 2018-03-29
    Hazardous operations 280100Z to 280505Z mar, alternate 290100Z to 290505Z mar in area bound by 20-44.5N…
  6. HYDROPAC 1181/18 · Other2018-03-26 → 2019-04-19
    Platform reported in 17-48N 110-04E
  7. HYDROPAC 1071/18 · Nav aids2018-03-18 → 2018-07-22
    RACON delta buoy 01-03.6N 103-38.9E missing
  8. HYDROPAC 1065/18 · Other2018-03-17 → 2018-04-06
    Two persons overboard from F/V bv 92936 ts in 07-00N 107-00E at 161300Z mar
  9. HYDROPAC 991/18 · Surveys2018-03-14 → 2018-04-26
    Survey operations in progress until 25 apr by M/V cgg amadeus towing six 9000 meter long cables in area…
  10. HYDROPAC 882/18 · Wrecks2018-03-07 → 2018-09-07
    Dangerous wreck in vicinity 20-25.8N 107-03.0E
  11. HYDROPAC 740/18 · Exercises2018-02-23 → 2018-03-06
    Gunnery exercises: a. 27 feb in area bound by 16-57.1N 119-50.0E, 16-48.9N 119-50.1E, 16-49.4N 119-58.0E,…
  12. HYDROPAC 715/18 · Exercises2018-02-21 → 2018-03-03
    Gunnery exercises 26 feb to 02 mar in area bound by 16-57.1N 119-50.0E, 16-57.2N 119-58.6E, 16-49.0N…
  13. HYDROPAC 688/18 · Derelicts2018-02-20 → 2018-02-23
    Derelict raft adrift in vicinity 07-44.7N 106-34.8E at 200505Z feb
  14. HYDROPAC 608/18 · Surveys2018-02-14 → 2018-03-14
    Survey operations in progress until 15 mar by M/V cgg amadeus towing six 9000 meter long cables in area…
  15. HYDROPAC 589/18 · Missiles2018-02-12 → 2018-03-28
    Hazardous operations, rocket launching 0230Z to 0430Z daily 13, 14, 28 feb, 01, 12, 13, 20, 21, 27 and 28…
  16. HYDROPAC 574/18 · Nav aids2018-02-11 → 2018-02-18
    South cardinal buoy 01-03.6N 103-38.8E unlit
  17. HYDROPAC 380/18 · Derelicts2018-01-28 → 2018-01-30
    Vessel shinas disabled and adrift in 07-30N 107-17E at 270810Z jan
  18. HYDROPAC 375/18 · Other2018-01-27 → 2018-01-29
    South china sea DNC 11, DNC 23
  19. HYDROPAC 371/18 · Cable ops2018-01-27 → 2018-02-06
    Cable operations 01 thru 07 feb, alternate 08 thru 12 feb by M/V kddi ocean link in area bound by 22-23.2N…
  20. HYDROPAC 366/18 · Derelicts2018-01-27 → 2018-01-27
    Vessel shinas disabled and adrift in vicinity 07-39N 107-40E

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