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 1172/17 · Derelicts2017-04-02 → 2017-04-05
    Derelict S/V carlotta adrift in 17-21.88N 115-59.36E at 020950Z apr
  2. HYDROPAC 1168/17 · Surveys2017-04-02 → 2017-05-01
    Survey operations in progress until 30 apr by M/V cgg amadeus, towing eight 8000 meter long cables in area…
  3. HYDROPAC 1161/17 · Derelicts2017-04-01 → 2017-04-04
    Derelict M/V minh duong 8888 taking on water and adrift in 11-56.60N 109-20.22E
  4. HYDROPAC 1157/17 · Surveys2017-04-01 → 2017-08-01
    Survey operations in progress until 31 jul by vessel towing 5000 meter long cable in area bound by 22-33-24N…
  5. HYDROPAC 1143/17 · Exercises2017-03-31 → 2017-04-28
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0900Z commencing daily 04 thru 06, 09 thru 13, 16 thru 20 and 23 thru 27 apr in…
  6. HYDROPAC 1142/17 · Exercises2017-03-31 → 2017-04-28
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0830Z commencing daily 04 thru 06, 09 thru 13, 16 thru 20 and 23 thru 27 apr in…
  7. HYDROPAC 1141/17 · Exercises2017-03-31 → 2017-04-07
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 1000Z commencing daily 04 thru 06 apr in areas: a. bound by 25-48N 120-48E,…
  8. HYDROPAC 1140/17 · Exercises2017-03-31 → 2017-04-28
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0900Z commencing daily 04 thru 06, 09 thru 13, 16 thru 20 and 23 thru 27 apr in…
  9. HYDROPAC 1134/17 · Surveys2017-03-31 → 2017-04-09
    Survey operations 01 thru 08 apr by M/V pgs apollo towing ten 8100 meter long cables in area bound by…
  10. HYDROPAC 1097/17 · Piracy2017-03-28 → 2017-04-04
    M/V approached by pirates in 01-07.0N 103-32.3E at 261254Z mar
  11. HYDROPAC 1085/17 · Other2017-03-27 → 2017-03-31
    M/V petrolimex 14 requesting assistance in 10-21N 107-49E at 271715Z mar
  12. HYDROPAC 1065/17 · Derelicts2017-03-26 → 2017-03-27
    F/V bd 99999 ts disabled and adrift due to engine failure in 13-26N 109-38E at 261430Z mar
  13. HYDROPAC 1027/17 · Other2017-03-24 → 2018-09-07
    Navigation prohibited until further notice in area bound by 09-54.35N 106-45.34E, 09-54.08N 106-45.22E,…
  14. HYDROPAC 1003/17 · Exercises2017-03-22 → 2017-03-31
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 1000Z commencing daily 26 thru 30 mar in area bound by 25-48N 120-48E, 25-48N…
  15. HYDROPAC 958/17 · Other2017-03-20 → 2017-03-21
    F/V qna 91800 ts reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 15-32N 113-36E at 191500Z mar
  16. HYDROPAC 956/17 · Other2017-03-20 → 2017-03-21
    F/V qna 90839 ts reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 15-00N 113-30E at 190400Z mar
  17. HYDROPAC 952/17 · Other2017-03-19 → 2017-03-25
    F/V qb 93136 ts reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 17-32N 107-05E at 172100Z mar
  18. HYDROPAC 893/17 · Wrecks2017-03-15 → 2017-10-07
    Dangerous wreck, least depth 12.6 meters, marked by isolated danger buoy, in 01-25.92N 104-27.39E
  19. HYDROPAC 890/17 · Surveys2017-03-15 → 2017-06-01
    Survey operations in progress until 31 may by M/V ptsc researcher towing 1500 meter long cable and M/V ptsc…
  20. HYDROPAC 887/17 · Other2017-03-15 → 2017-03-17
    Underwater ordnance detonations 160001Z to 160430Z mar, alternate 170001Z to 170430Z mar in area bound by…

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