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 1435/12 · Other2012-05-22 → 2012-05-24
    F/V qng 95951 ts reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 09-42N 111-00E at 211015Z may
  2. HYDROPAC 1419/12 · Cable ops2012-05-20 → 2012-06-12
    Seismic survey 21 may thru 20 jun by M/V viking II towing five mile long cable in area bound by 13-45.4N…
  3. HYDROPAC 1317/12 · Piracy2012-05-10 → 2012-05-20
    M/V reports act of piracy vicinity 01-13.4N 104-53.0E at 081808Z may
  4. HYDROPAC 1307/12 · Exercises2012-05-09 → 2012-05-25
    Gunnery excercises 0001Z to 0800Z daily 14 thru 18 and 21 thru 25 may: a. in area bound by 25-48.0N…
  5. HYDROPAC 1272/12 · Cable ops2012-05-05 → 2012-05-20
    Seismic survey in progress until 25 may by M/V viking II towing six mile long cable in area bound by…
  6. HYDROPAC 1217/12 · Towing2012-04-28 → 2012-05-08
    Tug wantas VI, red hull, towing barge wantas VII unreported langkawi (06-21-00N 099-48-00E) to tawau sabah…
  7. HYDROPAC 1215/12 · Exercises2012-04-28 → 2012-05-31
    Gunnery exercises 0100Z to 0800Z daily 03, 10, 11, 14, 15 and 29 may, 0001Z to 0900Z daily 04, 09, 16 thru…
  8. HYDROPAC 1208/12 · Towing2012-04-27 → 2012-04-28
    Tug wantas VI, red hull, towing barge wantas V11, unreported langkawi (06-21-00N 099-48-00E) to tawau sabah…
  9. HYDROPAC 1205/12 · Exercises2012-04-26 → 2012-05-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01 thru 04, 07 thru 11, 14 thru 18, 21 thru 25 and 28 thru 31 may: a.…
  10. HYDROPAC 1112/12 · Exercises2012-04-18 → 2012-04-28
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0430Z commencing daily 22 thru 26 apr and 0530Z to 0930Z daily 23 thru 27 apr: a.…
  11. HYDROPAC 1109/12 · Other2012-04-18 → 2012-04-18
    F/V qna 91035-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 15-47N 114-41E at 180100Z apr
  12. HYDROPAC 1092/12 · Piracy2012-04-17 → 2012-04-28
    M/V reports act of piracy vicinity 01-35N 104-37E at 151600Z apr
  13. HYDROPAC 1042/12 · Wrecks2012-04-11 → 2013-03-16
    Gulf of Tonkin
  14. HYDROPAC 1020/12 · Containers2012-04-10 → 2012-04-13
    Numerous containers adrift vicinity 10-26.2N 107-03.2E at 091630Z apr
  15. HYDROPAC 1003/12 · Other2012-04-08 → 2012-04-14
    F/V qna 94989-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 14-30N 114-00E at 070000Z apr
  16. HYDROPAC 994/12 · Derelicts2012-04-07 → 2012-04-09
    F/V qng 95591 disabled and adrift in 12-00N 111-30E at 070713Z apr
  17. HYDROPAC 973/12 · Other2012-04-06 → 2012-04-14
    F/V dna 90496TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 17-14N 107-59E at 052345Z apr
  18. HYDROPAC 932/12 · Other2012-04-02 → 2012-04-02
    F/V qn 90767-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 12-06N 114-06E at 012255Z apr
  19. HYDROPAC 914/12 · Cable ops2012-03-30 → 2012-06-16
    Seismic survey in progress until 15 jun by M/V western patriot towing eight 7000 meter long cables in area…
  20. HYDROPAC 896/12 · Other2012-03-29 → 2012-03-29
    F/V dna 90149 ts reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 16-45N 109-50E at 290001Z mar

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