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 924/14 · Cable ops2014-04-02 → 2014-04-03
    Cable laying operations by cableship subaru and M/V vega until 09 apr vicinity of trackline joining 21-36.0N…
  2. HYDROPAC 920/14 · Piracy2014-04-02 → 2014-04-05
    Container ship attacked in 20-52N 107-07E at 311840Z mar
  3. HYDROPAC 893/14 · Wrecks2014-03-30 → 2014-04-05
    Vietnam
  4. HYDROPAC 883/14 · Exercises2014-03-29 → 2014-04-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01 thru 03, 07 thru 11, 14 thru 18, 21 thru 25 and 28 thru 30 apr: a.…
  5. HYDROPAC 877/14 · Exercises2014-03-28 → 2014-04-30
    Gunnery exercises 0530Z to 0900Z daily 02, 08 thru 11, 16, 18, 22 thru 25 and 30 apr: a. in area between…
  6. HYDROPAC 869/14 · Cable ops2014-03-27 → 2014-05-01
    Seismic survey 01 apr thru 20 jul by M/V duke towing 8000 meter long cable in area bound by 21-05.2N…
  7. HYDROPAC 824/14 · Cable ops2014-03-24 → 2014-05-01
    Seismic survey in progress until 30 apr by vessel towing six 6000 meter long cables in area bound by 18-17N…
  8. HYDROPAC 815/14 · Other2014-03-23 → 2014-03-23
    F/V dna 90159 ts reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 17-00N 111-20E at 220100Z mar
  9. HYDROPAC 814/14 · Debris2014-03-22 → 2014-03-25
    Large yellow buoy adrift in 05-53.4N 107-18.7E at 221030Z mar
  10. HYDROPAC 767/14 · Cable ops2014-03-18 → 2014-05-07
    Seismic survey 20 mar thru 20 may by M/V voyager explorer in area bound by 11-58.0N 117-58.7E, 11-49.2N…
  11. HYDROPAC 678/14 · Debris2014-03-10 → 2014-03-12
    Possible aircraft debris sighted in 09-54.5N 107-25.0E
  12. HYDROPAC 664/14 · Surveys2014-03-08 → 2014-03-23
    Underwater operations in progress until 22 mar by M/V joides resolution in 12-55.1N 115-02.8E
  13. HYDROPAC 567/14 · Exercises2014-02-26 → 2014-03-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 03 thru 07, 10 thru 14, 17 thru 21 and 24 thru 31 mar: a. in area…
  14. HYDROPAC 423/14 · Other2014-02-12 → 2014-02-22
    F/V qng 92679-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 15-48N 113-24E at 112300Z feb
  15. HYDROPAC 395/14 · Piracy2014-02-09 → 2014-02-22
    M/V attacked in 01-21.12N 104-41.41E at 091930Z feb
  16. HYDROPAC 317/14 · Exercises2014-01-31 → 2014-02-27
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 05 thru 07, 10 thru 14, 17 thru 21 and 24 thru 27 feb: a. in area…
  17. HYDROPAC 204/14 · Other2014-01-20 → 2014-01-20
    M/V bitu gulf taking on water in 11-29N 109-51E at 200602Z jan
  18. HYDROPAC 122/14 · Other2014-01-12 → 2014-01-13
    F/V qng 94259-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 17-42N 120-20E at 111500Z jan
  19. HYDROPAC 4048/13 · Derelicts2013-12-29 → 2014-01-04
    M/V free hero disabled and adrift in 08-28.126N 108-36.817E
  20. HYDROPAC 4047/13 · Other2013-12-29 → 2014-01-04
    Six swimmers missing vicinity 10-23N 106-55E at 290630Z dec

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