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 910/11 · Cable ops2011-03-23 → 2011-04-20
    Seismic survey in progress until 200001Z apr by M/V binh minh II towing 8000 meter long cable in area bound…
  2. HYDROPAC 866/11 · Piracy2011-03-20 → 2011-04-02
    M/V attacked in 02-55.1N 105-17.2E at 200210Z mar
  3. HYDROPAC 827/11 · Containers2011-03-17 → 2011-03-17
    Container adrift vicinity 09-12.0N 109-28.1E at 160125Z mar
  4. HYDROPAC 810/11 · Containers2011-03-16 → 2011-03-19
    Container adrift in 09-12-01N 109-28-00E at 160125Z mar
  5. HYDROPAC 781/11 · Piracy2011-03-13 → 2011-03-27
    M/V attacked by pirates in 03-00.5N 105-22.3E at 111925Z mar
  6. HYDROPAC 711/11 · Other2011-03-06 → 2011-03-12
    F/V 91234QN reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 15-49N 114-40E at 060130Z mar
  7. HYDROPAC 601/11 · Exercises2011-02-24 → 2011-03-31
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 01 thru 04, 07 thru 11, 14, 15, 21 thru 25 and 28 thru 31 mar: a. in…
  8. HYDROPAC 600/11 · Exercises2011-02-24 → 2011-03-31
    Gunnery exercises 0100Z to 0900Z daily 01, 02, 08, 09, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30 mar and 0001Z to 0900Z…
  9. HYDROPAC 574/11 · Piracy2011-02-23 → 2011-03-05
    Vessel attacked in 05-59N 116-04E at 171230Z feb
  10. HYDROPAC 569/11 · Other2011-02-23 → 2011-03-05
    F/V 94565QNG reports crewman requiring medical assistance in 17-59N 115-00E at 222230Z feb
  11. HYDROPAC 550/11 · Exercises2011-02-19 → 2011-03-18
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0330Z and 0600Z to 0830Z daily 21 feb thru 18 mar: a. in area bound by 22-34N…
  12. HYDROPAC 549/11 · Exercises2011-02-19 → 2011-03-18
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0330Z and 0600Z to 0830Z daily 21 feb thru 18 mar: a. in area bound by 23-51N…
  13. HYDROPAC 322/11 · Wrecks2011-01-27 → 2011-01-29
    Nga chart 93020 (2ND ed)
  14. HYDROPAC 297/11 · Piracy2011-01-25 → 2011-02-05
    Possible pirate activity in 10-42N 109-44E at 232000Z jan
  15. HYDROPAC 181/11 · Other2011-01-16 → 2011-01-17
    Bombing exercises 170001Z to 171600Z jan in area bound by 14-05N 115-43E, 15-09N 114-22E, 12-11N 111-54E,…
  16. HYDROPAC 64/11 · Other2011-01-06 → 2011-01-17
    Bombing exercises: a. in progress until 072359Z jan in area bound by 25-23N 132-18E, 23-37N 134-29E, 22-40N…
  17. HYDROPAC 21/11 · Other2011-01-02 → 2011-01-06
    Bombing exercises: a. 050001Z to 061500Z jan in area bound by 25-23N 132-18E, 23-37N 134-29E, 22-40N…
  18. HYDROPAC 13/11 · Derelicts2011-01-01 → 2011-01-04
    Derelict lifeboat adrift in 01-50.43N 104-42.71E at 010630Z jan
  19. HYDROPAC 2967/10 · Exercises2010-12-29 → 2011-01-28
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0900Z daily 03 thru 07, 10 thru 14, 17 thru 21 and 24 thru 28 jan: a. in area…
  20. HYDROPAC 2966/10 · Exercises2010-12-29 → 2011-01-31
    Gunnery exercises 0100Z to 0900Z daily 03, 06, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27 and 31 jan and 0001Z to 0900Z daily…

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