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 2107/09 · Exercises2009-11-15 → 2009-11-16
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0900Z commencing daily 15 thru 19 nov within 31 miles of 25-20.0N 120-37.5E
  2. HYDROPAC 2058/09 · Derelicts2009-11-09 → 2009-11-12
    Derelict vessel adrift vicinity 15-35.0N 115-08.1E at 090735Z nov
  3. HYDROPAC 2032/09 · Exercises2009-11-06 → 2009-11-12
    Gunnery exercises 110200Z to 110400Z, 110600Z to 110800Z and 120200Z to 120400Z nov within 69 miles of…
  4. HYDROPAC 2022/09 · Exercises2009-11-05 → 2009-11-27
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 1000Z daily 09 thru 13, 16 thru 20 and 23 thru 27 nov within 29 miles of 22-34N…
  5. HYDROPAC 2004/09 · Containers2009-11-03 → 2009-11-06
    Eight containers adrift vicinity 21-13.9N 120-59.6E at 030430Z nov
  6. HYDROPAC 1978/09 · Exercises2009-10-30 → 2009-11-13
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0900Z commencing daily 01 thru 05 and 08 thru 12 nov within 31 miles of 25-20.0N…
  7. HYDROPAC 1963/09 · Exercises2009-10-28 → 2009-11-06
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 0400Z and 0500Z to 0900Z daily 02 thru 06 nov within 29 miles of 22-34N 119-16E
  8. HYDROPAC 1962/09 · Exercises2009-10-28 → 2009-11-30
    Gunnery exercises 0100Z to 0900Z daily 02 thru 06, 09 thru 13, 16 thru 20, 23 thru 27 and 30 nov within 15…
  9. HYDROPAC 1904/09 · Cable ops2009-10-21 → 2009-11-27
    Seismic survey in progress until 20 dec by M/V orient explorer towing four three mile long cables in area…
  10. HYDROPAC 1898/09 · Cable ops2009-10-19 → 2009-12-01
    Seismic survey in progress until 30 nov by M/V ramform explorer towing 6000 meter long cable in area bound…
  11. HYDROPAC 1881/09 · Exercises2009-10-16 → 2009-10-30
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 1000Z daily 19 thru 21 oct and 0100Z to 0900Z daily 16, 22, 23 and 26 thru 30 oct…
  12. HYDROPAC 1865/09 · Exercises2009-10-14 → 2009-10-23
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 1000Z daily 19 thru 23 oct within 29 miles of 22-34N 119-16E
  13. HYDROPAC 1864/09 · Exercises2009-10-14 → 2009-10-23
    Gunnery exercises 0001Z to 1000Z daily 19 thru 23 oct within 31 miles of 25-20.0N 120-37.5E
  14. HYDROPAC 1859/09 · Exercises2009-10-14 → 2009-10-30
    Gunnery exercises 2300Z to 0400Z commencing daily 18 thru 22 and 25 thru 29 oct and 0500Z to 0900Z daily 19…
  15. HYDROPAC 1858/09 · Piracy2009-10-14 → 2009-10-24
    F/V reports being chased and fired upon by pirates in 06-29N 107-43E at 140230Z oct
  16. HYDROPAC 1834/09 · Wrecks2009-10-08 → 2010-04-10
    Nga chart 94040 (14TH ed)
  17. HYDROPAC 1832/09 · Cable ops2009-10-08 → 2009-10-19
    Seismic survey 09 oct thru 04 nov by M/V ramform explorer towing 6000 meter long cable in area bound by…
  18. HYDROPAC 1816/09 · Derelicts2009-10-06 → 2009-10-09
    Derelict 200 meter vessel adrift vicinity 22-57.6N 117-00.0E at 061810Z oct
  19. HYDROPAC 1807/09 · Derelicts2009-10-05 → 2009-10-09
    Derelict vessel patriot, blue hull, adrift in 24-29.4N 118-44.7E at 050035Z oct
  20. HYDROPAC 1787/09 · Cable ops2009-10-03 → 2009-10-19
    Seismic survey in progress until 18 oct by M/V orient explorer towing four three mile long cables in area…

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