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 362/18 · Derelicts2018-01-26 → 2018-01-27
    Vessel shinas disabled and adrift in vicinity 07-45N 107-58E
  2. HYDROPAC 279/18 · Nav aids2018-01-21 → 2018-01-28
    South cardinal buoy 01-03.6N 103-38.8E unlit
  3. HYDROPAC 200/18 · Other2018-01-15 → 2018-01-16
    F/V dna 90415-TS requesting assistance in vicinity 17-03N 108-17E at 150001Z jan
  4. HYDROPAC 191/18 · Derelicts2018-01-15 → 2018-01-16
    F/V py 96597 ts disabled and adrift due to engine failure in 08-53N 113-42E at 150415Z jan
  5. HYDROPAC 190/18 · Derelicts2018-01-15 → 2018-01-15
    F/V py 96597 ts disabled and adrift due to engine failure in 08-40N 113-46E at 140530Z jan
  6. HYDROPAC 181/18 · Derelicts2018-01-14 → 2018-01-17
    Derelict F/V partially submerged and adrift in 07-31.85N 108-14.70E on 14 jan
  7. HYDROPAC 123/18 · Wrecks2018-01-10 → 2018-09-07
    Dangerous wreck in vicinity 20-47.53N 106-55.03E
  8. HYDROPAC 65/18 · Other2018-01-06 → 2018-01-20
    Vietnam DNC 11
  9. HYDROPAC 4611/17 · Derelicts2017-12-28 → 2017-12-31
    Derelict F/V partially submerged and adrift in vicinity 01-34.2S 108-21.5E on 28 dec
  10. HYDROPAC 4578/17 · Surveys2017-12-25 → 2018-09-07
    Salvage operations in progress until further notice in area bound by 01-25.99N 104-27.08E, 01-26.21N…
  11. HYDROPAC 4563/17 · Surveys2017-12-24 → 2017-12-25
    Salvage operations in progress until 31 dec in area bound by 01-25.99N 104-27.08E, 01-26.21N 104-27.50E,…
  12. HYDROPAC 4531/17 · Derelicts2017-12-22 → 2017-12-25
    Derelict 100 meter vessel adrift in 05-42.1N 103-37.5E at 211830Z dec
  13. HYDROPAC 4469/17 · Derelicts2017-12-19 → 2017-12-21
    F/V sg 7250 ts and F/V sg 7682 ts disabled and adrift due to engine failure in 07-18N 104-04E on 19 dec
  14. HYDROPAC 4468/17 · Derelicts2017-12-19 → 2018-01-05
    Vessel km hasil laut disabled and adrift due to engine failure in 01-18N 108-05E
  15. HYDROPAC 4391/17 · Surveys2017-12-13 → 2018-02-18
    Malaysia
  16. HYDROPAC 4331/17 · Other2017-12-10 → 2017-12-13
    Two persons overboard from vessel in 01-19.25N 104-24.97E
  17. HYDROPAC 4317/17 · Derelicts2017-12-09 → 2017-12-12
    Derelict vessel adrift in 08-59.9N 109-17.6E at 090826Z dec
  18. HYDROPAC 4313/17 · Derelicts2017-12-09 → 2017-12-13
    F/V bd 95921 ts disabled and drift due to engine trouble in vicinity 12-35N 113-04E at 090001Z dec
  19. HYDROPAC 4261/17 · Piracy2017-12-05 → 2017-12-12
    M/V reports act of piracy in 14-33.72N 120-55.25E at 031610Z dec
  20. HYDROPAC 4248/17 · Missiles2017-12-04 → 2017-12-07
    Hazardous operations, rocket launching 05 dec, alternate 06 dec in area bound by 19-10.67N 105-44.80E,…

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