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 2379/13 · Derelicts2013-08-08 → 2013-08-11
    Derelict F/V BV92376, blue and orange hull, on fire and adrift in 06-16.1N 107-52.0E on 08 aug
  2. HYDROPAC 2376/13 · Cable ops2013-08-08 → 2013-10-25
    Seismic survey 082200Z aug to 102359Z nov by M/V western spirit towing eight 5000 meter long cables in area…
  3. HYDROPAC 2359/13 · Derelicts2013-08-07 → 2013-08-08
    F/V ht 00057 disabled and adrift vicinity 18-00N 107-00E at 070410Z aug
  4. HYDROPAC 2326/13 · Cable ops2013-08-05 → 2013-10-21
    Seismic survey 10 aug thru 20 oct by M/V duke towing 8000 meter long cable in area bound by 21-41.5N…
  5. HYDROPAC 2233/13 · Other2013-07-27 → 2013-08-03
    F/V qng 98674-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 15-14N 110-15E at 271100Z jul
  6. HYDROPAC 2228/13 · Exercises2013-07-27 → 2013-08-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 02, 05 thru 09, 12 thru 16, 19 thru 23 and 26 thru 30 aug: a. in…
  7. HYDROPAC 2227/13 · Exercises2013-07-27 → 2013-08-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 02, 05 thru 09, 12 thru 16, 19 thru 23 and 26 thru 30 aug: a. in…
  8. HYDROPAC 2213/13 · Piracy2013-07-26 → 2013-08-04
    M/V reports act of piracy vicinity 01-16N 104-37E at 241600Z jul
  9. HYDROPAC 2212/13 · Piracy2013-07-26 → 2013-08-04
    M/V reports act of piracy vicinity 01-18N 104-41E at 242040Z jul
  10. HYDROPAC 2208/13 · Other2013-07-25 → 2013-07-26
    F/V qng 95401 ts reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 11-06N 110-06E at 250735 jul
  11. HYDROPAC 2099/13 · Other2013-07-16 → 2013-07-27
    Men overboard vicinity 09-54N 107-53E on 16 jul
  12. HYDROPAC 2069/13 · Cable ops2013-07-14 → 2013-08-26
    Seismic survey in progress until 25 aug by M/V cgg amadeus towing eight 8000 meter long cables in area bound…
  13. HYDROPAC 2053/13 · Cable ops2013-07-13 → 2013-11-01
    Seismic survey in progress until 31 oct by M/V towing 5000 meter long cable in area bound by 21-38N 117-41E,…
  14. HYDROPAC 2045/13 · Cable ops2013-07-12 → 2013-10-01
    Seismic survey 15 jul thru 30 sep by M/V geo survey in area bound by 14-46.32N 109-33.52E, 14-40.12N…
  15. HYDROPAC 1992/13 · Other2013-07-08 → 2013-07-13
    F/V qb 91739 reports crewman with appendicitis in 18-01N 107-55E at 080930Z jul
  16. HYDROPAC 1885/13 · Cable ops2013-06-28 → 2013-08-28
    Seismic survey 02 jul thru 05 sep by M/V viking II towing eight 7500 meter long cables in area bound by…
  17. HYDROPAC 1858/13 · Exercises2013-06-26 → 2013-07-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01 thru 05, 08 thru 12, 15 thru 19, 22 thru 26 and 29 thru 31 jul: a.…
  18. HYDROPAC 1857/13 · Exercises2013-06-26 → 2013-07-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01 thru 05, 08 thru 12, 15 thru 19, 22 thru 26 and 29 thru 31 jul: a.…
  19. HYDROPAC 1837/13 · Other2013-06-24 → 2013-10-31
    Pipelaying operations in progress until 30 oct along trackline line joining 20-14.9N 114-54.0E, 19-56.4N…
  20. HYDROPAC 1818/13 · Derelicts2013-06-22 → 2013-06-24
    M/V momentum 25001 disabled and adrift due to engine trouble in 14-18N 110-00E at 221100Z jun

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