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 3614/11 · Exercises2011-12-28 → 2012-01-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 02, 03, 16 thru 20, 30 and 31 jan: a. in area between 23-29.9N…
  2. HYDROPAC 3613/11 · Exercises2011-12-28 → 2012-01-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 02, 16 thru 20, 30 and 31 jan: a. in area between 22-34.9N 22-54.9N…
  3. HYDROPAC 3602/11 · Derelicts2011-12-27 → 2011-12-30
    Derelict barge pb 2505 adrift vicinity 09-24N 112-59E at 220548Z dec
  4. HYDROPAC 3601/11 · Derelicts2011-12-27 → 2011-12-27
    Barge pb 2505 adrift vicinity 09-24N 112-59E at 220548Z dec
  5. HYDROPAC 3567/11 · Derelicts2011-12-22 → 2011-12-25
    Derelict barge adrift vicinity 09-24N 112-59E at 220610Z dec
  6. HYDROPAC 3550/11 · Other2011-12-20 → 2011-12-31
    Distess signal received on 406 mhz in 03-09.9N 107-02.2E at 200733Z dec
  7. HYDROPAC 3549/11 · Derelicts2011-12-20 → 2011-12-23
    Derelict barge adrift vicinity 10-15N 113-30E at 200021Z dec
  8. HYDROPAC 3543/11 · Derelicts2011-12-19 → 2011-12-22
    76 meter barge pb 2505 adrift vicinity 16-20.23N 118-21.3E on 10 dec
  9. HYDROPAC 3433/11 · Cable ops2011-12-09 → 2012-01-08
    Seismic survey 10 dec thru 07 jan 12 by M/V western spirit towing six 4000 meter long cables in area bound…
  10. HYDROPAC 3428/11 · Derelicts2011-12-09 → 2011-12-12
    Derelict 50 meter barge adrift in 01-31.1S 107-56.3E at 080900Z dec
  11. HYDROPAC 3335/11 · Cable ops2011-11-29 → 2011-12-11
    Seismic survey 30 nov thru 10 dec by M/V nordic energy towing 7000 meter long cable in area bound by 11-20N…
  12. HYDROPAC 3314/11 · Exercises2011-11-26 → 2011-12-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 02, 05 thru 09, 12 thru 16, 19 thru 23 and 26 thru 30 dec: a. in…
  13. HYDROPAC 3313/11 · Exercises2011-11-26 → 2011-12-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 02, 05 thru 09, 12 thru 16, 19 thru 23 and 26 thru 30 dec: a. in…
  14. HYDROPAC 3276/11 · Other2011-11-22 → 2011-11-25
    Eight meter long unmanned orange life boat adrift in 16-40.6N 113-36.6E at 220215Z nov
  15. HYDROPAC 3265/11 · Derelicts2011-11-21 → 2011-11-22
    F/V BTH85078 disabled and adrift due to engine damage in 07-55N 105-45E at 210800Z nov
  16. HYDROPAC 3157/11 · Derelicts2011-11-09 → 2011-11-12
    Derelict eight meter vessel, green hull, adrift vicinity 06-45.5N 116-28.2E at 090620Z nov
  17. HYDROPAC 3145/11 · Cable ops2011-11-08 → 2012-01-29
    Seismic survey in progress until 28 jan 12 by M/V pacific finder, M/V trb elnusa finder and M/V china…
  18. HYDROPAC 3143/11 · Derelicts2011-11-08 → 2011-11-12
    Barge dt 19359TS out of fuel and adrift in 07-53N 106-50E at 080518Z nov
  19. HYDROPAC 3131/11 · Derelicts2011-11-06 → 2011-11-09
    Derelict vessel kekada partially submerged and adrift in 20-37.4N 115-40.3E at 061530Z nov
  20. HYDROPAC 3045/11 · Exercises2011-10-29 → 2011-11-30
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0430Z commencing daily 31 oct thru 29 nov and 0530Z to 0930Z daily 01 thru 30…

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