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 1956/11 · Cable ops2011-07-07 → 2011-08-25
    Seismic survey in progress until 30 aug by M/V cgg amadeus towing eight 6000 meter long cables in area bound…
  2. HYDROPAC 1909/11 · Exercises2011-07-01 → 2011-07-20
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 1400Z commencing daily 04 and 05 jul, alternate 2300Z to 1400Z commencing daily…
  3. HYDROPAC 1873/11 · Cable ops2011-06-28 → 2011-07-14
    Seismic survey in progress until 02 sep by M/V pacific explorer towing 6000 meter long cable in area bound…
  4. HYDROPAC 1851/11 · Exercises2011-06-26 → 2011-07-29
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 04 thru 08, 11 thru 15, 18 thru 22 and 25 thru 29 jul: a. in area…
  5. HYDROPAC 1850/11 · Exercises2011-06-26 → 2011-07-29
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 04 thru 08, 11 thru 15, 18 thru 22 and 25 thru 29 jul: a. in area…
  6. HYDROPAC 1763/11 · Exercises2011-06-17 → 2011-07-22
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0430Z commencing daily 19 jun thru 21 jul and 0530Z to 0930Z daily 20 jun thru 22…
  7. HYDROPAC 1761/11 · Derelicts2011-06-17 → 2011-06-17
    Derelict 30 meter vessel adrift vicinity 09-02.7N 111-26.5E at 160500Z jun
  8. HYDROPAC 1757/11 · Derelicts2011-06-16 → 2011-06-17
    Derelict vessel adrift vicinity 09-02.7N 111-26.5E at 160500Z jun
  9. HYDROPAC 1756/11 · Derelicts2011-06-16 → 2011-06-19
    Derelict 30 meter vessel adrift in 09-02.7N 111-26.5E at 160500Z jun
  10. HYDROPAC 1755/11 · Exercises2011-06-16 → 2011-07-22
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0430Z commencing daily 19 jun thru 21 jul and 0530Z to 0930Z daily 20 jun thru 22…
  11. HYDROPAC 1753/11 · Other2011-06-16 → 2011-06-25
    F/V tg 92942, suffered an engine room explosion in 07-33N 108-32E at 162359Z jun
  12. HYDROPAC 1654/11 · Cable ops2011-06-05 → 2011-07-05
    Seismic survey 06 jun thru 04 jul by M/V viking 2 towing eight 6000 meter long cables in area bound by…
  13. HYDROPAC 1623/11 · Exercises2011-06-02 → 2011-06-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 07 thru 10, 13 thru 17, 20 thru 24 and 27 thru 30 jun a. in area…
  14. HYDROPAC 1621/11 · Exercises2011-06-02 → 2011-06-03
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 02 and 03 jun: a. in area between 23-29.9N 23-39.9N and 119-05.5E…
  15. HYDROPAC 1608/11 · Exercises2011-05-31 → 2011-06-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01, 03, 07, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 20 thru 24 and 27 thru 30 jun and…
  16. HYDROPAC 1584/11 · Exercises2011-05-27 → 2011-05-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01 thru 03, 07, 10, 13 thru 17, 20 thru 24 and 27 thru 30 jun, 0001Z…
  17. HYDROPAC 1537/11 · Cable ops2011-05-23 → 2011-08-02
    Seismic survey 24 may thru 01 aug by M/V western patriot towing eight 7000 meter long cables in area bound…
  18. HYDROPAC 1446/11 · Cable ops2011-05-13 → 2011-06-05
    Seismic survey 14 may thru 18 jun by M/V viking II towing eight 7000 meter long cables in area bound by…
  19. HYDROPAC 1383/11 · Exercises2011-05-07 → 2011-05-08
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0400Z commencing daily 08 thru 26 may and 0600Z to 0900Z daily 09 thru 27 may: a.…
  20. HYDROPAC 1373/11 · Exercises2011-05-06 → 2011-05-13
    Hazardous operations

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