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 1039/16 · Other2016-04-07 → 2017-01-28
    Recent ship reports indicate local traffic is still using traffic separation scheme (tss) oriented 090-270…
  2. HYDROPAC 980/16 · Other2016-04-03 → 2016-04-04
    F/V qng 94491-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 18-36N 111-07E at 021700Z apr
  3. HYDROPAC 961/16 · Exercises2016-04-01 → 2016-04-22
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 1000Z commencing daily 05 thru 07, 10 thru 14 and 17 thru 21 apr: a. in area…
  4. HYDROPAC 898/16 · Derelicts2016-03-28 → 2016-03-29
    F/V BV95227TS disabled and anchored due to engine trouble in 09-43N 107-32E
  5. HYDROPAC 891/16 · Exercises2016-03-27 → 2016-04-29
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 06, 08, 11, 13, 15, 18, 22, 25, 27 and 29 apr, 0001Z to 1400Z…
  6. HYDROPAC 889/16 · Exercises2016-03-27 → 2016-04-29
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 06 thru 08, 11 thru 15, 18 thru 22 and 25 thru 29 apr: a. in area…
  7. HYDROPAC 871/16 · Other2016-03-25 → 2016-04-19
    Three persons overboard from F/V kg 9197TS vicinity 07-55N 108-50E at 150600Z mar
  8. HYDROPAC 766/16 · Exercises2016-03-17 → 2016-03-27
    Bombing exercises 0001Z to 0400Z daily 18 and 19 mar in area between 12-40.0N 11-20.0N and 109-48.0E 110-18.0E
  9. HYDROPAC 653/16 · Cable ops2016-03-07 → 2016-03-16
    Cable repair operations in progress until 04 apr by cableship cable retriever in area bound by 18-14.8N…
  10. HYDROPAC 566/16 · Other2016-02-29 → 2016-02-29
    F/V in need of assistance in 08-03.42N 109-34.35E
  11. HYDROPAC 547/16 · Exercises2016-02-27 → 2016-03-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 02, 04, 09, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28 and 30 mar, 0001Z to 1400Z…
  12. HYDROPAC 524/16 · Exercises2016-02-25 → 2016-03-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01 thru 04, 07 thru 11, 14 thru 18, 21 thru 25 and 28 thru 31 mar: a.…
  13. HYDROPAC 262/16 · Exercises2016-01-30 → 2016-02-26
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 03, 05, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24 and 26 feb, 0001Z to 1400Z daily 02,…
  14. HYDROPAC 261/16 · Exercises2016-01-30 → 2016-02-26
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01 thru 05, 15 thru 19 and 22 thru 26 feb: a. in area between…
  15. HYDROPAC 222/16 · Derelicts2016-01-26 → 2016-01-29
    Derelict barge adrift in 11-31.82N 109-42.71E
  16. HYDROPAC 187/16 · Exercises2016-01-21 → 2016-01-27
    Gunnery exercises 0100Z to 0140Z daily 22, 25 and 27 jan: a. in area between 22-38N 22-50N and 119-28E 120-03E
  17. HYDROPAC 145/16 · Piracy2016-01-17 → 2016-01-31
    F/V reports being chased by suspicious vessel in 04-03N 105-51E at 171418Z jan
  18. HYDROPAC 96/16 · Exercises2016-01-13 → 2016-01-29
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 18, 20, 22, 25, 27 and 29 jan, 0001Z to 1400Z daily 19, 21, 26 and 28…
  19. HYDROPAC 84/16 · Derelicts2016-01-12 → 2016-01-19
    F/V KH99216TS disabled and adrift in 17-18N 117-15E at 060001Z jan
  20. HYDROPAC 48/16 · Exercises2016-01-07 → 2016-01-29
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 18 thru 22 and 25 thru 29 jan: a. in area between 23-29-54N 23-39-54N…

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