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 1767/12 · Exercises2012-06-23 → 2012-06-26
    Gunnery exercises 260900Z to 261200Z jun: a. in area between 22-35N 22-55N and 119-25E 119-45E
  2. HYDROPAC 1746/12 · Exercises2012-06-20 → 2012-06-29
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0800Z daily 25 thru 29 jun: a. in area bound by 25-48N 120-48E, 25-48N 121-20E,…
  3. HYDROPAC 1729/12 · Containers2012-06-19 → 2012-06-22
    Containers adrift in 18-37.5N 117-19.4E at 191104Z jun
  4. HYDROPAC 1725/12 · Containers2012-06-19 → 2012-06-22
    Container adrift vicinity 18-51.8N 117-28.6E at 190006Z jun
  5. HYDROPAC 1720/12 · Cable ops2012-06-18 → 2012-06-25
    Seismic survey in progress until 05 jul by M/V ramform sterling towing 3.5 mile long cable in area bound by…
  6. HYDROPAC 1717/12 · Surveys2012-06-18 → 2012-07-16
    Underwater operations in progress until 15 jul vicinity of trackline joining 22-14.5N 114-39.1E, 21-31.9N…
  7. HYDROPAC 1653/12 · Cable ops2012-06-12 → 2012-06-29
    Seismic survey in progress until 05 jul by M/V viking II towing eight 7000 meter long cables in area bound…
  8. HYDROPAC 1643/12 · Cable ops2012-06-12 → 2012-06-12
    Seismic survey in progress until further notice by M/V viking II towing eight 7000 meter long cables in area…
  9. HYDROPAC 1591/12 · Surveys2012-06-07 → 2012-07-01
    Underwater operations in progress until 30 jun in area bound by 19-58-00N 115-22-15E, 19-57-30N 115-26-30E,…
  10. HYDROPAC 1590/12 · Surveys2012-06-07 → 2012-06-26
    Underwater operations in progress until 25 jun within two miles of 19-22-59N 112-05-27E
  11. HYDROPAC 1578/12 · Cable ops2012-06-06 → 2012-10-01
    Seismic survey in progress until 30 sep by vessel towing six 6000 meter long cables in area bound by 18-00N…
  12. HYDROPAC 1533/12 · Cable ops2012-06-01 → 2012-07-02
    Seismic survey in progress until 01 jul by M/V western spirit towing eight 10000 meter long cables in area…
  13. HYDROPAC 1518/12 · Other2012-05-31 → 2012-09-16
    Pipelaying operations in progress until 15 sep vicinity of tracklines joining: a. 20-14.9N 114-54.0E,…
  14. HYDROPAC 1508/12 · Exercises2012-05-30 → 2012-06-08
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 1000Z commencing daily 03 thru 07 jun: a. in area bound by 24-48N 119-50E 24-48N…
  15. HYDROPAC 1502/12 · Cable ops2012-05-30 → 2012-07-04
    Seismic survey in progress until 20 sep by vessel towing 12 6000 meter long cables in area bound by…
  16. HYDROPAC 1501/12 · Cable ops2012-05-30 → 2012-06-16
    Seismic survey in progress until 15 jun by vessel towing three 5000 meter long cables in area bound by…
  17. HYDROPAC 1495/12 · Cable ops2012-05-29 → 2012-07-16
    Seismic survey 30 may thru 15 jul by M/V cgg amadeus towing eight 6000 meter long cables in area bound by…
  18. HYDROPAC 1491/12 · Exercises2012-05-28 → 2012-06-29
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 04 thru 08, 11 thru 15, 18 thru 22 and 26 thru 29 jun and 250100Z…
  19. HYDROPAC 1481/12 · Exercises2012-05-27 → 2012-06-29
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 04 thru 08, 11 thru 15, 18 thru 22 and 25 thru 29 jun: a. in area…
  20. HYDROPAC 1447/12 · Exercises2012-05-23 → 2012-06-01
    Gunnery exercise 2300Z to 1000Z commencing daily 27 to 31 may a. in area bounded by 24-48N 119-50E 24-48N…

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