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 2764/17 · Other2017-08-15 → 2017-08-16
    F/V na 90988 ts reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 18-34N 107-09E at 151330Z aug
  2. HYDROPAC 2763/17 · Surveys2017-08-15 → 2017-10-01
    Survey operations in progress until 30 sep by M/V cgg amadeus towing eight 8000 meter long cables in area…
  3. HYDROPAC 2760/17 · Surveys2017-08-15 → 2017-12-13
    Malaysia
  4. HYDROPAC 2750/17 · Exercises2017-08-14 → 2017-08-17
    Hazardous operations 152300Z to 161100Z aug, alternate 162300Z to 171100Z aug in area bound by 20-31.50N…
  5. HYDROPAC 2749/17 · Exercises2017-08-14 → 2017-08-17
    Hazardous operations 152300Z to 160200Z aug, alternate 162300Z to 170200Z aug in area bound by 20-30.20N…
  6. HYDROPAC 2741/17 · Exercises2017-08-12 → 2017-08-18
    Hazardous operations 150200Z to 181700Z aug in area bound by 10-14.5N 107-04.5E, 10-22.0N 107-11.0E,…
  7. HYDROPAC 2730/17 · Other2017-08-11 → 2017-08-14
    Two persons overboard from F/V bt 90216 ts in 08-01N 104-43E at 061720Z aug
  8. HYDROPAC 2691/17 · Surveys2017-08-08 → 2017-08-29
    Underwater operations 10 thru 28 aug by M/V discovery 01 in areas bound by: a. 16-09.17N 108-10.82E,…
  9. HYDROPAC 2690/17 · Surveys2017-08-08 → 2017-08-31
    Survey operations in progress until 310900Z aug by M/V discovery 01 in areas bound by: a. 16-13.46N…
  10. HYDROPAC 2668/17 · Wrecks2017-08-06 → 2018-09-07
    Dangerous wreck in 19-16.30N 105-50.75E
  11. HYDROPAC 2648/17 · Other2017-08-05 → 2017-08-05
    F/V dna 90684 ts reports crewman with stomach ache in 19-12N 106-59E at 041400Z aug
  12. HYDROPAC 2620/17 · Surveys2017-08-02 → 2017-10-01
    Survey operations in progress until 30 sep by vessel towing 5000 meter long cable in area bound by 22-33-24N…
  13. HYDROPAC 2608/17 · Other2017-08-01 → 2017-08-18
    Two persons overboard from F/V py 96697 ts in 12-32N 111-42E at 311800Z jul
  14. HYDROPAC 2605/17 · Derelicts2017-08-01 → 2017-08-05
    M/V hop tien 36 disabled, adrift and taking on water in 11-50N 111-40E at 311100Z jul
  15. HYDROPAC 2584/17 · Derelicts2017-07-30 → 2017-08-07
    F/V py 96327 ts, disabled and adrift, one crewman injured in 18-06N 119-25E at 300315Z jul
  16. HYDROPAC 2575/17 · Other2017-07-28 → 2017-07-29
    F/V qb 98264-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 17-13N 110-28E at 280800Z jul
  17. HYDROPAC 2460/17 · Surveys2017-07-17 → 2017-07-22
    Salvage operations in progress until 21 jul in 10-32.08N 108-59.08E
  18. HYDROPAC 2459/17 · Wrecks2017-07-17 → 2018-09-07
    Dangerous wreck in 18-50.23N 105-46.07E
  19. HYDROPAC 2448/17 · Exercises2017-07-16 → 2017-07-20
    Gunnery exercises 182300Z to 190430Z and 191130Z to 191530Z jul, alternate 192300Z to 200430Z and 201130Z to…
  20. HYDROPAC 2418/17 · Other2017-07-13 → 2017-07-27
    F/V na 92286 ts reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 19-16N 106-48E at 120200Z jul

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