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 2424/11 · Exercises2011-08-27 → 2011-09-30
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0430Z commencing daily 31 aug thru 29 sep and 0530Z to 0930Z daily 01 thru 30…
  2. HYDROPAC 2422/11 · Cable ops2011-08-27 → 2011-10-31
    Seismic survey 28 aug thru 30 oct by M/V geowave voyager towing 3.5 mile long cables in area bound by…
  3. HYDROPAC 2410/11 · Cable ops2011-08-26 → 2011-09-11
    Seismic survey 28 aug thru 20 sep by M/V cgg amadeus towing eight 7000 meter long cables in area bound by…
  4. HYDROPAC 2393/11 · Cable ops2011-08-25 → 2011-08-26
    Seismic survey 28 aug thru 20 sep by M/V cgg amadeus towing eight 7000 meter long cables in area bound by…
  5. HYDROPAC 2389/11 · Cable ops2011-08-25 → 2011-10-26
    Seismic survey in progress until 25 oct by vessel in area bound by 21-45N 117-20E, 22-15N 118-20E, 21-30N…
  6. HYDROPAC 2380/11 · Exercises2011-08-24 → 2011-09-02
    Gunnery exercises 0001 to 0800Z daily 29 aug thru 02 sep: a. in area bound by 25-48N 120-48E, 25-48N…
  7. HYDROPAC 2379/11 · Exercises2011-08-24 → 2011-08-29
    Gunnery exercises 290900Z to 291400Z aug: a. in area between 22-34.9N 22-54.9N and 119-25.5E 119-45.5E
  8. HYDROPAC 2312/11 · Cable ops2011-08-17 → 2011-09-11
    Seismic survey in progress until 10 sep by vessel towing six 6000 meter long cables in area bound by 20-07N…
  9. HYDROPAC 2286/11 · Nav aids2011-08-15 → 2015-08-11
    Nga chart 71265 (4TH ed)
  10. HYDROPAC 2285/11 · Other2011-08-15 → 2011-08-17
    Underwater ordnance detonations 170030Z to 171500Z aug in area bound by 19-22N 118-16E, 20-11N 119-08E,…
  11. HYDROPAC 2258/11 · Piracy2011-08-12 → 2011-08-21
    M/V attacked in 02-11.6N 109-15.5E at 061330Z aug
  12. HYDROPAC 2235/11 · Exercises2011-08-10 → 2011-08-30
    Gunnery exercises 150500Z to 151000Z and 151100Z to 151400Z aug, alternate 2200Z to 0400Z commencing daily…
  13. HYDROPAC 2187/11 · Exercises2011-08-04 → 2011-08-12
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0430Z commencing daily 07 thru 11 and 0530Z to 0930Z daily 08 thru 12 aug: a. in…
  14. HYDROPAC 2186/11 · Exercises2011-08-04 → 2011-08-24
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 1400Z commencing daily 08 and 09 aug, alternate 2300Z to 1400Z commencing daily…
  15. HYDROPAC 2151/11 · Cable ops2011-08-01 → 2011-12-16
    Seismic survey in progress until 20 dec by M/V geo atlantic towing ten 7000 meter long cables in area bound…
  16. HYDROPAC 2113/11 · Exercises2011-07-27 → 2011-08-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01 thru 05, 08 thru 12, 15 thru 19, 22 thru 26 and 29 thru 31 aug: a.…
  17. HYDROPAC 2112/11 · Exercises2011-07-27 → 2011-08-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01 thru 05, 08 thru 12, 15 thru 19, 22 thru 26 and 29 thru 31 aug: a.…
  18. HYDROPAC 2065/11 · Exercises2011-07-20 → 2011-08-05
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0430Z commencing daily 24 jul thru 04 aug and 0530Z to 0930Z daily 25 jul thru 05…
  19. HYDROPAC 2048/11 · Other2011-07-16 → 2011-07-30
    F/V dn 90258TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 09-55N 114-35E at 160001Z jul
  20. HYDROPAC 2033/11 · Other2011-07-15 → 2011-07-16
    F/V dn 90152-TS reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 15-31N 110-14E at 150400Z jul

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