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 2731/14 · Exercises2014-09-15 → 2014-09-18
    Hazardous operations
  2. HYDROPAC 2702/14 · Exercises2014-09-13 → 2014-09-18
    Gunnery exercises 2130Z to 2230Z daily 17 and 18 sep: a. in area bound by 22-25.0N 120-35.0E, 22-25.0N…
  3. HYDROPAC 2669/14 · Other2014-09-11 → 2014-10-31
    Pipelaying operations in progress until 30 oct vicinity trackline between 09-37-43.9N 108-00-18.1E and…
  4. HYDROPAC 2662/14 · Exercises2014-09-11 → 2014-09-17
    Hazardous operations
  5. HYDROPAC 2610/14 · Cable ops2014-09-05 → 2015-01-16
    South china sea 1. seismic survey in progress until 15 jan 15 by M/V cgg alize towing 12 five mile long…
  6. HYDROPAC 2561/14 · Other2014-09-01 → 2014-09-02
    F/V qng 90224-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 14-00N 113-28E at 011000Z sep
  7. HYDROPAC 2548/14 · Cable ops2014-08-30 → 2014-09-06
    Cable operations 01 thru 08 sep by cableship lodbrog within ten miles of 21-06.3N 114-21.4E
  8. HYDROPAC 2529/14 · Wrecks2014-08-28 → 2014-08-30
    M/V hp 0418 sank in 20-33.78N 107-26.46E at 280530Z aug
  9. HYDROPAC 2522/14 · Wrecks2014-08-28 → 2014-08-30
    M/V phu cuong 0148 sank in 20-39N 109-30E at 280530Z aug
  10. HYDROPAC 2518/14 · Other2014-08-28 → 2014-08-28
    F/V bv 92699 ts reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 09-44.55N 107-59.80E at 280425Z aug
  11. HYDROPAC 2512/14 · Exercises2014-08-27 → 2014-09-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 09 thru 12, 15 thru 19, 22 thru 26, 29 and 30 sep: a. in area between…
  12. HYDROPAC 2511/14 · Exercises2014-08-27 → 2014-09-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 09 thru 12, 15 thru 19, 22 thru 26, 29 and 30 sep: a. in area between…
  13. HYDROPAC 2502/14 · Exercises2014-08-26 → 2014-09-01
    Hazardous operations
  14. HYDROPAC 2448/14 · Surveys2014-08-20 → 2014-09-16
    Survey operations in progress until 15 sep by M/V salvin diamond vicinity of trackline joining 08-33-37.476N…
  15. HYDROPAC 2444/14 · Piracy2014-08-20 → 2014-08-30
    Vessel reports act of piracy in 01-33.6N 104-46.4E at 192002Z aug
  16. HYDROPAC 2426/14 · Other2014-08-18 → 2014-08-21
    F/V qng 98239-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 18-09N 111-12E
  17. HYDROPAC 2286/14 · Other2014-08-05 → 2014-08-16
    Pipelaying operations in progress until 15 aug by M/V sapura kencana in 02-46.0N 104-36.5E
  18. HYDROPAC 2215/14 · Exercises2014-07-29 → 2014-08-29
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 04 thru 08, 11 thru 15, 18, 19, 22 and 25 thru 27 aug and 2300Z…
  19. HYDROPAC 2207/14 · Exercises2014-07-28 → 2014-08-29
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 04 thru 08, 11 thru 15, 18 thru 22 and 25 thru 29 aug: a. in area…
  20. HYDROPAC 2144/14 · Derelicts2014-07-22 → 2014-07-26
    Vessel rainbow joy disabled and adrift in 02-15N 108-18E at 220344Z jul

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