Cardinal MarkIALA System
South Cardinal Mark
Identification guide and characteristics for safe navigation.
Indicates that the deepest water or safe passage is to the South of the mark. Often used to point out a danger to the north.
👁️ Visual Characteristics
Color Scheme
Yellow above Black
Topmark
Two black cones pointing downward
Buoy Shape
Pillar or Spar
💡 Night Identification (Light)
Color of Light
White
Light Rhythm
Q(6) + LFl 15s or VQ(6) + LFl 10s
IALA Regions
The world is divided into two IALA regions (A and B). While Cardinal, Isolated Danger, Safe Water, and Special marks are the same globally, Lateral Marks have different color conventions depending on the region.
- Region A: Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Gulf and some Asian countries.
- Region B: Americas, Japan, South Korea, Philippines.