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 1044/15 · Derelicts2015-03-26 → 2015-03-29
    Derelict 25 foot F/V, green hull with blue stripe, adrift vicinity 21-21.4N 120-09.0E
  2. HYDROPAC 1039/15 · Other2015-03-25 → 2015-07-18
    Navigation prohibited in area bound by 15-19-57.5N 108-52-01.0E, 15-20-12.6N 108-52-35.9E, 15-20-26.0N…
  3. HYDROPAC 1038/15 · Exercises2015-03-25 → 2015-03-31
    Gunnery exercises 30 mar in area bound by 14-20N 120-16E, 14-15N 120-16E, 14-15N 120-10E, 14-21N 120-10E
  4. HYDROPAC 1032/15 · Other2015-03-25 → 2015-03-30
    Two men overboard from F/V 96049-TS in 17-11N 113-00E at 232300Z mar
  5. HYDROPAC 1009/15 · Wrecks2015-03-23 → 2015-07-18
    M/V binh duong 688 aground in 12-33.965N 109-27.673E
  6. HYDROPAC 979/15 · Exercises2015-03-21 → 2015-03-27
    Hazardous operations: a. 2300Z to 0500Z commencing daily 21 and 22 mar in area between 12-00-00N 12-40-00N…
  7. HYDROPAC 906/15 · Cable ops2015-03-15 → 2015-04-15
    Seismic survey 16 mar thru 16 apr by M/V cgg amadeus towing eight 6000 meter long cables in area bound by…
  8. HYDROPAC 871/15 · Exercises2015-03-12 → 2015-03-21
    Hazardous operations
  9. HYDROPAC 801/15 · Other2015-03-07 → 2015-04-02
    M/V golden 168, on fire in 10-21.557N 107-01.882E at 072005Z mar
  10. HYDROPAC 687/15 · Cable ops2015-02-28 → 2015-03-08
    Cable operations 02 thru 08 mar, alternate 09 thru 13 mar by M/V kddi ocean link in area bound by 22-42.9N…
  11. HYDROPAC 660/15 · Exercises2015-02-26 → 2015-03-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 02 thru 06, 09 thru 13, 16 thru 20, 23 thru 27, 30 and 31 mar: a. in…
  12. HYDROPAC 647/15 · Exercises2015-02-25 → 2015-03-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 02 thru 06, 09 thru 13, 16 thru 20, 23 thru 27, 30 and 31 mar: a. in…
  13. HYDROPAC 531/15 · Cable ops2015-02-14 → 2015-04-09
    Seismic survey in progress until 15 apr by M/V cgg alize towing 12 five mile long cables in area bound by…
  14. HYDROPAC 527/15 · Cable ops2015-02-13 → 2015-02-14
    Seismic survey in progress until 15 apr by M/V cgg alize towing 12 five mile long cables in area bound by…
  15. HYDROPAC 513/15 · Cable ops2015-02-13 → 2015-02-16
    Cable repair operations in progress until 15 feb by cableship asean restorer in area bound by 01-20.4N…
  16. HYDROPAC 392/15 · Cable ops2015-02-03 → 2015-03-26
    Seismic survey in progress until 20 may by M/V pgs apollo towing 12 five mile long cables in area bound by…
  17. HYDROPAC 374/15 · Cable ops2015-02-01 → 2015-02-13
    Seismic survey 02 thru 20 feb by M/V cgg alize towing 12 five mile long cables in area bound by 07-36.2N…
  18. HYDROPAC 315/15 · Exercises2015-01-28 → 2015-02-26
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 02 thru 06, 09 thru 13, 16 and 17, 24 thru 26 feb: a. in area between…
  19. HYDROPAC 313/15 · Exercises2015-01-28 → 2015-02-26
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 02 thru 06, 09 thru 13, 16 and 17, 24 thru 26 feb: a. in area between…
  20. HYDROPAC 310/15 · Cable ops2015-01-28 → 2015-02-11
    Cable repair operations in progress by cableship durable until 21 feb in area bound by: a. 01-30.1N…

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