South China Sea

These waters south of the Mekong delta lie near the Côn Đảo archipelago, whose largest island is Côn Sơn. The islands rise from the sea beyond the river mouths and mark routes along the southern Vietnamese coast. Farther from shore, sailors crossing the South China Sea depended on the changing monsoon winds, while the bays of the islands offered points of shelter and reference on the approach to the mainland.