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 3942/16 · Derelicts2016-12-20 → 2016-12-21
    F/V bd 95662 ts, disabled and adrift due to engine trouble in 11-16N 112-00E at 200200Z dec
  2. HYDROPAC 3888/16 · Cable ops2016-12-14 → 2016-12-24
    Cable repair operations 160001Z dec until further notice by cableship lodbrog in vicinity 09-16.7N 109-06.9E
  3. HYDROPAC 3883/16 · Cable ops2016-12-13 → 2016-12-26
    Cable laying operations in progress until further notice by cableship rene descartes in vicinity of…
  4. HYDROPAC 3873/16 · Wrecks2016-12-13 → 2018-05-15
    Dangerous wreck in vicinity 20-46.56N 106-55.61E
  5. HYDROPAC 3862/16 · Cable ops2016-12-12 → 2016-12-31
    Seismic survey in progress until 30 dec by M/V ramform sovereign towing 12 5.1 mile long cables in area…
  6. HYDROPAC 3858/16 · Exercises2016-12-11 → 2016-12-15
    Gunnery exercises 132330Z to 140400Z and 140730Z to 141000Z dec, alternate 142330Z to 150400Z and 150730Z to…
  7. HYDROPAC 3850/16 · Other2016-12-11 → 2016-12-13
    Aircraft P4201 crashed
  8. HYDROPAC 3720/16 · Other2016-12-01 → 2016-12-02
    F/V requesting assistance in 00-20N 106-17E
  9. HYDROPAC 3718/16 · Derelicts2016-12-01 → 2016-12-03
    F/V qb 98991 ts disabled and adrift in 17-55N 107-56E at 010815Z dec
  10. HYDROPAC 3700/16 · Wrecks2016-11-30 → 2018-02-01
    Dangerous wreck in 17-59N 106-32E
  11. HYDROPAC 3699/16 · Cable ops2016-11-30 → 2016-12-13
    Cable laying operations in progress until further notice by cableship rene descartes vicinity of trackline…
  12. HYDROPAC 3646/16 · Exercises2016-11-26 → 2016-12-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 05, 12 thru 15, 19 and 26 thru 29 dec, 0001Z to 1400Z daily 02,…
  13. HYDROPAC 3639/16 · Exercises2016-11-26 → 2016-12-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 02, 05 thru 09, 12 thru 16, 19 thru 23, and 26 thru 30 dec: a. in…
  14. HYDROPAC 3589/16 · Derelicts2016-11-21 → 2016-11-24
    Derelict F/V adrift in 16-48N 107-35E at 210150Z nov
  15. HYDROPAC 3572/16 · Other2016-11-19 → 2016-11-20
    M/V san jose on fire in 08-47.4N 109-45.1E
  16. HYDROPAC 3545/16 · Cable ops2016-11-16 → 2016-11-30
    Cable laying operations 210001Z nov to 040001Z dec by cableship rene descartes vicinity of trackline joining…
  17. HYDROPAC 3413/16 · Derelicts2016-11-05 → 2016-11-08
    Derelict F/V bd 99939 ts adrift in 09-49N 108-56E
  18. HYDROPAC 3410/16 · Exercises2016-11-05 → 2016-11-09
    Gunnery exercises 0100Z to 0230Z daily 07 and 08 nov, alternate 090100Z to 090230Z nov in area bound by…
  19. HYDROPAC 3354/16 · Other2016-11-01 → 2016-11-04
    F/V py 90035-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 15-46N 117-23E at 012000Z nov
  20. HYDROPAC 3346/16 · Exercises2016-11-01 → 2016-11-02
    Gunnery exercises in progress until 011000Z nov, alternate 012330Z to 021000Z nov in area bound by 11-57.03N…

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