Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal, Philippines
Updated August 29, 2024
Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal are both undeveloped reefs in the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that are receiving attention these days as they are actively claimed by both the Philippines and China. They are in the north of the West Philippine Sea and garner significant attention in the media as the navy of the PRC makes contact with the civilian and navy of the Philippines in this area.
Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal are both undeveloped reefs in the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that are receiving attention these days as they are actively claimed by both the Philippines and China. They are in the north of the West Philippine Sea and garner significant attention in the media as the navy of the PRC makes contact with the civilian and navy of the Philippines in this area.
Scarborough Shoal, a.k.a., Huangyan Dao (PRC) Panatag Shoal (peaceful shoal) by the Philippines.
This shoal has a contiguous reef structure around the outside with a sole entry in the southeast corner, and is designated as a Chinese island by Maxar Xpress Open Street Map. It would be a formidable threat to Taiwan and the Philippines if it were to be reclaimed and developed due to its location and structure. It is due west of Angeles and Manila, and only 147.7 miles west of the Philippine mainland and 500 miles southwest of Taiwan's mainland.
The Scarborough Shoal is in water occupied and patrolled by PRC, but tension comes because the Philippines also patrol this area with their navy and other civilian ships (e.g., government ships). We are showing Google Earth satellite imagery from 5/8/2024 and a small S.E. patch from 10/30/2020.
This island is located just off the coast of the main island of the Philippines, West of Angeles and Northwest of Manila, Philippines. It exists currently as an unimproved, submerged shoal.
This shoal has a contiguous reef structure around the outside with a sole entry in the southeast corner, and is designated as a Chinese island by Maxar Xpress Open Street Map. It would be a formidable threat to Taiwan and the Philippines if it were to be reclaimed and developed due to its location and structure. It is due west of Angeles and Manila, and only 147.7 miles west of the Philippine mainland and 500 miles southwest of Taiwan's mainland.
The Scarborough Shoal is in water occupied and patrolled by PRC, but tension comes because the Philippines also patrol this area with their navy and other civilian ships (e.g., government ships). We are showing Google Earth satellite imagery from 5/8/2024 and a small S.E. patch from 10/30/2020.
This island is located just off the coast of the main island of the Philippines, West of Angeles and Northwest of Manila, Philippines. It exists currently as an unimproved, submerged shoal.
Scarborough Shoal, Philippines. Google Earth satellite imagery from 5/8/2022 and 10/30/2020. We also view a ship below the shoal.
Scarborough Shoal, Copernicus Browser, Sentinel-2, L1C, in False Color, 7/31/2024. We see no signs of habitation or reclamation, but we do see a potential ferry/cruise connection to the Philippines labeled on this satellite imagery. Easy to check if needed.
It appears below sea-level so has no 'land' nor no habitation or man-made improvements from satellite imagery. It is 148 miles due west of the Philippines mainland. It is a profitable Philippine fishing location and takes 12-18 hours of sailing to arrive from land, so the fisherman often spend days sleeping in their boats during fishing season which is only a few months out of the year (according to 2012 Al Jazeera). This shoal is claimed as part of the municipality of Masinloc, a northern Philippine town.
We do see what could be early-stage reclamation work at the Southeastern edge. There is a navigation channel cut into the reef, and we saw a smudge on the satellite imagery that might have been infrastructure being installed.
There is a dramatic contract with islands like Mischief Reef that PRC have recently developed in the nearby ocean.
We read in the Global Times that from February 2 to 9, 2024, the Philippine Coast Guard Ship 9701 sailed on waters adjacent to Scarborough Shoal, also known as Huangyan Island, and were warned then repelled by Chinese Coast Guard forces. This also happened against a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ship 3005, which was also repelled.
According to the South China Morning Post, Beijing has been accused of installing a "floating barrier" at the Scarborough Shoal to block fishing boats from entering the area. According to Al Jazeera on December 11, 2023, Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 after a months-long stand-off, and after former Philippine President Gloria Arroyo excluded Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands from 2009 UNCLOS baselines. So, ownership is ambiguous.
Location: 15°08'53"N 117°46’53"E
We did see a ship just to the North of the shoal that looked quite large and military grade, located here: 15°05'37"N 117°46'31"E.
I understand that Second Thomas Shoal has a ship anchored there and wonder if this could be the same situation?
Update: In a February 22, 2024 satellite imagery by Maxar Technologies, and a handout by Reuters, published by Thompson Reuters, we see a line across the mouth, or entrance cut into the Scarborough Shoal. The article claims that it is a floating barrier blocking the mouth of the shoal that was laid by two Chinese Coast Guard inflatable boats, and that the information was provided by the Philippine Coast Guard on Sunday, February 25, 2024.
In the photo below, Source Google Earth, you can see the mouth of the shoal. The satellite photos we examined showed a line, visible from space, that curved gracefully inward into the Shoal. We read that the same thing happened in mid-2023, and that the Philippines cut the barrier in September, 2023, so this is not an isolated event.
What we don't know is why the barrier has been installed, at least twice.
We do not own the right to share the Maxar / Reuters image, but you can find it online.
In the photo below, Source Google Earth, you can see the mouth of the shoal. The satellite photos we examined showed a line, visible from space, that curved gracefully inward into the Shoal. We read that the same thing happened in mid-2023, and that the Philippines cut the barrier in September, 2023, so this is not an isolated event.
What we don't know is why the barrier has been installed, at least twice.
We do not own the right to share the Maxar / Reuters image, but you can find it online.
The February 22, 2024 satellite image is available for viewing from Reuters.
The image below is a ship we spotted in the Scarborough Shoal.
The image below is a ship we spotted in the Scarborough Shoal.
Second Thomas Shoal, Philippines
Second Thomas Shoal, a.k.a. Ren'ai Jiao or Ren'ai Reef in Chinese and Ayungin Shoal to the Philippines, is a reef due west of the center of Palawan with an aged Philippine military ship the BRP Sierra Madre permanently grounded there. This is an undeveloped reef that is claimed and patrolled by both PRC and the Philippines. Maxar Xpress shows no developments nor infrastructure elements.
The ship is populated by military of the Philippines. This is a 10.47 mile long reef with heavier coral growth on the western side than on the eastern side.
Second Thomas Shoal, a.k.a. Ren'ai Jiao or Ren'ai Reef in Chinese and Ayungin Shoal to the Philippines, is a reef due west of the center of Palawan with an aged Philippine military ship the BRP Sierra Madre permanently grounded there. This is an undeveloped reef that is claimed and patrolled by both PRC and the Philippines. Maxar Xpress shows no developments nor infrastructure elements.
The ship is populated by military of the Philippines. This is a 10.47 mile long reef with heavier coral growth on the western side than on the eastern side.
Google Earth Satellite Imagery 5/15/2020 and 3/22/2019.
I read in the open source media that during restocking and resupply visits by Philippine boats, the Chinese are known to bump, confront, spray with water cannons and damage those vessels during logistical shipping visits. The ship seen below could just be an accident of satellite imagery, or could be a second Philippine ship being used to establish residency?
According to Radio Free Asia on 12/28/2023, the Philippine Government allotted 100 million pesos (U.S. $1.81 million) to construct permanent military and civilian (fisherfolk shelters) structures on Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas) Shoal as confirmed by Col. Medel Aguilar, a Philippine armed forces spokesman. The current outpost is a Philippine Navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, which was run aground in 1999 and has been manned ever since.
We think we found the ship grounded by the Philippine Navy, or at least some ship. Location: 9°47'28"N 115°51'23"E, imagery 5/15/2020.
I read in the open source media that during restocking and resupply visits by Philippine boats, the Chinese are known to bump, confront, spray with water cannons and damage those vessels during logistical shipping visits. The ship seen below could just be an accident of satellite imagery, or could be a second Philippine ship being used to establish residency?
According to Radio Free Asia on 12/28/2023, the Philippine Government allotted 100 million pesos (U.S. $1.81 million) to construct permanent military and civilian (fisherfolk shelters) structures on Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas) Shoal as confirmed by Col. Medel Aguilar, a Philippine armed forces spokesman. The current outpost is a Philippine Navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, which was run aground in 1999 and has been manned ever since.
We think we found the ship grounded by the Philippine Navy, or at least some ship. Location: 9°47'28"N 115°51'23"E, imagery 5/15/2020.
We read in the South China Morning Post on January 3, 2024, that the Philippines Congress allocated funding to build a permanent structure on Second Thomas Shoal, but the amount was not disclosed. The Philippine military stated "the permanent structure and facilities would probably serve as a shelter for fisherman."
The shoal has a diameter of 11.0 miles, and we see a shipping channel carved into the Southeast of the reef at location: 15°06'58"N 117°51’05”E. The satellite imagery at that location is dated 10/30/2020.
This is a location that bears watching for further reclamation work near the channel.
This is a location that bears watching for further reclamation work near the channel.
The BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-era Philippine Navy vessel, has served as Manila's outpost at the Second Thomas Shoal since 1999. Photo: AFP, Downloaded from Yahoo News Jan 4, 2024.
Below we see a ship that appears on satellite imagery in Google Earth, dated 5/15/2020, at location: 9°47'27"N 115°51'23"E. We are not sure if this is the same ship that the Philippine Navy is using as a semi-permanent outpost. This is a duplicate photo that we are leaving in.
On and around October 30, 2023, we read news articles discussing tension between the Chinese and Philippine military around whether Philippine military ships may legally enter the waters around this shoal. The warnings were given by Senior Colonel Tian Junli, a spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command.
According to Reuters, the Scarborough Shoal is claimed by three nations: China, the Philippines and Taiwan.
According to Reuters, the Scarborough Shoal is claimed by three nations: China, the Philippines and Taiwan.
On December 10, 2023, the U.S. Department of State reaffirmed its support for high seas freedom of navigation around both of these features, Filipino naval operations in these waters, and Filipino fishing rights, and reaffirmed Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to all Philippine naval vessels, public vessels, armed forces or aircraft, including their Coast Guard, operating anywhere in the South China Sea.
Area
Name 1
Nearest Land
Distance from Land (miles)
Location (latitude & longitude)
Diameter (miles)
Date of Satellite Imagery
Airport Present?
Helipad Present?
Port / Dock Facility Present?
Buildings Present?
Defensive Infrastructure Present?
Athletic Facilities Present?
Hospital Present?
Sand Only Island?
Dredging Infrastructure Only?
Eastern South China Sea (closest to Philippines)
Scarborough Shoal
Philippines
148
15°08'53"N 117°46’53"E
11.0
10/30/2020
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Maybe
Name 1
Nearest Land
Distance from Land (miles)
Location (latitude & longitude)
Diameter (miles)
Date of Satellite Imagery
Airport Present?
Helipad Present?
Port / Dock Facility Present?
Buildings Present?
Defensive Infrastructure Present?
Athletic Facilities Present?
Hospital Present?
Sand Only Island?
Dredging Infrastructure Only?
Eastern South China Sea (closest to Philippines)
Scarborough Shoal
Philippines
148
15°08'53"N 117°46’53"E
11.0
10/30/2020
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Maybe