Back Ayungin Shoal BCL Second Thomas Shoal German Banco de arena Ayungin Spanish Banc Second Thomas French セカンド・トーマス礁 Japanese 세컨드 토마스 숄 Korean Second Thomas Shoal Swedish Buhanginan ng Ayungin Tagalog Bãi Cỏ Mây Vietnamese 仁爱礁 Chinese
| Disputed atoll | |
|---|---|
 Second Thomas Shoal | |
  Second Thomas Shoal | |
| Other names | Ayungin Shoal (Philippine English) Bãi Cỏ Mây (Vietnamese) Buhanginan ng Ayungin (Filipino) Rén'ài Jiāo 仁爱礁/仁愛礁 (Chinese) |
| Geography | |
| Location | South China Sea |
| Coordinates | 9°44′N 115°52′E / 9.733°N 115.867°E |
| Archipelago | Spratly Islands |
| Administration | |
| Region | Southwestern Tagalog Region |
| Province | Palawan |
| Municipality | Kalayaan |
| Claimed by | |
Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal (Filipino: Buhanginan ng Ayungin, lit. 'sandbank of silver perch'), Bãi Cỏ Mây (Vietnamese) and Rén'ài Jiāo (Chinese: 仁爱礁/仁愛礁),[1] is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea, 105 nautical miles (194 km; 121 mi) west of Palawan, Philippines.[2] It is a disputed territory and claimed by multiple nations.[3]
The reef is occupied by a garrison of Philippine Navy personnel aboard a ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, that was intentionally grounded on the reef in 1999 and has been periodically replenished since then.
- ^ Sailing Directions – South China Sea. Taunton: UK Hydrographic Office.
- ^ Sailing Directions Enroute : Publication 158 – Philippine Islands. Springfield, Virginia: US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). 2013.
- ^ "TOPIC: Sierra Madre, Second Thomas Shoal, and the U.S. Commitment to Defense of the Philippines" (PDF). pacom.mil. February 23, 2023.