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 2854/13 · Other2013-09-19 → 2013-10-05
    Two persons overboard from F/V TB1548 vicinity 20-13N 106-36E at 182245Z sep
  2. HYDROPAC 2730/13 · Cable ops2013-09-10 → 2013-10-21
    Seismic survey in progress until 20 oct by M/V geo caspian towing eight 6000 meter long cables in area bound…
  3. HYDROPAC 2675/13 · Cable ops2013-09-05 → 2013-10-14
    Seismic survey in progress until 04 nov by M/V voyager explorer in area bound by 12-05.4N 119-35.4E,…
  4. HYDROPAC 2632/13 · Cable ops2013-09-02 → 2013-10-15
    Seismic survey 03 sep thru 14 oct by M/V western trident towing eight three mile long cables in area bound…
  5. HYDROPAC 2610/13 · Exercises2013-08-30 → 2013-09-17
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 1400Z daily 04, 05, 16 and 17 sep: a. in area between 22-34.0N 22-54.0N and…
  6. HYDROPAC 2584/13 · Exercises2013-08-28 → 2013-09-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 02, 03, 06, 09, 12, 13, 18 thru 20, 23 thru 27 and 30 sep and 2300Z…
  7. HYDROPAC 2583/13 · Exercises2013-08-28 → 2013-09-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 02 thru 06, 09 thru 13, 16 thru 20, 23 thru 27 and 30 sep: a. in area…
  8. HYDROPAC 2581/13 · Surveys2013-08-28 → 2013-10-21
    Underwater operations in progress until 20 oct by M/V toisa paladin with submersible along trackline between…
  9. HYDROPAC 2575/13 · Cable ops2013-08-28 → 2013-10-17
    Seismic survey in progress until 16 oct by M/V viking II towing eight 7500 meter long cables in area bound…
  10. HYDROPAC 2566/13 · Cable ops2013-08-27 → 2013-09-05
    Seismic survey 01 sep thru 15 oct by M/V voyager explorer in area bound by 12-05.4N 119-35.4E, 12-08.2N…
  11. HYDROPAC 2539/13 · Derelicts2013-08-25 → 2013-08-26
    F/V bd 96888 ts disabled and adrift due to engine trouble in 12-18N 110-42E at 242300Z aug
  12. HYDROPAC 2531/13 · Cable ops2013-08-24 → 2014-04-01
    Cable laying operations in progress until 31 mar 14 vicinity of tracklines between: a. 23-35.2N 119-30.3E…
  13. HYDROPAC 2525/13 · Other2013-08-23 → 2013-10-05
    Vietnam
  14. HYDROPAC 2524/13 · Surveys2013-08-23 → 2013-08-28
    Underwater operations 28 aug thru 20 oct by M/V chu ba phuong along trackline between 07-27.4N 108-24.9E and…
  15. HYDROPAC 2523/13 · Debris2013-08-23 → 2013-08-26
    Odas buoy adrift in 19-37.9N 111-31.4E at 230142Z aug
  16. HYDROPAC 2493/13 · Other2013-08-21 → 2015-12-20
    Northern South China Sea
  17. HYDROPAC 2474/13 · Cable ops2013-08-19 → 2013-10-16
    Seismic survey in progress until 15 oct by M/V towing 12 6000 meter long cables in area bound by 20-04.7N…
  18. HYDROPAC 2473/13 · Cable ops2013-08-19 → 2013-12-01
    Seismic survey in progress until 30 nov by M/V towing three 5200 meter long cables in area bound by 21-38.1N…
  19. HYDROPAC 2436/13 · Cable ops2013-08-15 → 2013-09-06
    Seismic survey in progress until 05 sep by vessel towing six 6000 meter long cables in area bound by 19-12N…
  20. HYDROPAC 2435/13 · Other2013-08-15 → 2013-09-30
    Pipelaying operations in progress until 29 sep vicinity of trackline between 20-05.5N 114-38.0E and 20-14.9N…

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