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 3306/16 · Other2016-10-28 → 2016-10-30
    F/V qng 94706-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 13-56N 116-27E on 24 oct
  2. HYDROPAC 3300/16 · Exercises2016-10-27 → 2016-11-30
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 1000Z commencing daily 31 oct thru 03, 06 thru 10, 13 thru 17, 20 thru 24 and 27…
  3. HYDROPAC 3299/16 · Exercises2016-10-27 → 2016-11-30
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0830Z commencing daily 31 oct thru 03, 06 thru 10, 13 thru 17, 20 thru 24 and 27…
  4. HYDROPAC 3298/16 · Exercises2016-10-27 → 2016-11-30
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0830Z commencing daily 31 oct thru 03, 06 thru 10, 13 thru 17, 20 thru 24 and 27…
  5. HYDROPAC 3295/16 · Exercises2016-10-27 → 2016-11-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01 thru 04, 07 thru 11, 14 thru 18, 21 thru 25 and 28 thru 30 nov: a.…
  6. HYDROPAC 3292/16 · Exercises2016-10-27 → 2016-11-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 02, 04, 07, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 25, 28 and 30 nov, 0001Z to 1400Z…
  7. HYDROPAC 3230/16 · Wrecks2016-10-22 → 2018-09-07
    Dangerous wreck vicinity 17-43.6N 106-30.7E
  8. HYDROPAC 3229/16 · Wrecks2016-10-22 → 2018-02-01
    Dangerous wreck vicinity 17-43.5N 106-31.1E
  9. HYDROPAC 3228/16 · Other2016-10-21 → 2016-10-22
    F/V dna 90198-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 16-50N 109-30E at 200800Z oct
  10. HYDROPAC 3208/16 · Wrecks2016-10-19 → 2016-11-18
    Shoals reported: a. 8.9 meters in 22-56-47.89N 119-03-14.70E
  11. HYDROPAC 3205/16 · Exercises2016-10-19 → 2016-10-28
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0400Z commencing daily 23 thru 27 oct, 0500Z to 0900Z daily 24 thru 28 oct: a. in…
  12. HYDROPAC 3204/16 · Exercises2016-10-19 → 2016-10-24
    Gunnery exercises 240001Z to 240900Z oct: a. in area between 22-34-54N 22-54-54N and 119-25-29E 119-45-29E
  13. HYDROPAC 3152/16 · Exercises2016-10-15 → 2016-10-17
    Gunnery exercises 170001Z to 170900Z oct: a. in area between 22-34-54N 22-54-54N and 119-25-29E 119-45-29E
  14. HYDROPAC 3131/16 · Exercises2016-10-14 → 2016-10-18
    Gunnery exercises 152330Z to 161430Z oct, alternate 172330Z to 181430Z oct within 3000 meters of: a.…
  15. HYDROPAC 3127/16 · Other2016-10-13 → 2016-11-16
    Navigation prohibited 15 oct thru 15 nov within one mile of 11-07.40N 108-53.78E
  16. HYDROPAC 3113/16 · Exercises2016-10-12 → 2016-10-15
    Gunnery exercises 140001Z to 140900Z oct, alternate 150001Z to 150900Z oct in areas bound by: a. 09-50.83N…
  17. HYDROPAC 3109/16 · Other2016-10-12 → 2016-10-12
    Navigation prohibited 112200Z to 120930Z oct in area bound by 20-16.83N 106-33.83E, 20-17.83N 106-32.00E,…
  18. HYDROPAC 3105/16 · Other2016-10-11 → 2016-10-12
    Navigation prohibited 112200Z to 120930Z oct in area bound by 20-16.83N 106-33.83E, 20-17.83N 106-32.00E,…
  19. HYDROPAC 3092/16 · Cable ops2016-10-10 → 2016-11-16
    Cable laying operations in progress until 240300Z nov by cableship rene descartes vicinity of trackline…
  20. HYDROPAC 3085/16 · Other2016-10-09 → 2017-04-18
    Sse

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