COMMERCIAL satellite imagery showed a small “possible structure” at Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), according to analysis released by US-based maritime transparency initiative SeaLight, raising fresh questions over possible new activity in the contested area.
SeaLight said it obtained commercial satellite imagery captured on May 28, 2026, via partners at the Satellogic platform, accessed through the SkyfiApp.
The imagery showed the southern entrance to the lagoon of Bajo de Masinloc, where a small reflective object is visible on the reef flat near the entrance channel.
SeaLight said it also reviewed additional commercial imagery dated May 26 showing an object in the same location, though that image was not publicly released due to licensing restrictions.
Because the object appeared in imagery from at least May 26 to 28, SeaLight assessed it is likely a persistent feature rather than a temporary optical artifact.
Based on resolution and scale, the group estimated the object is “conservatively” less than 10 meters in diameter.
Its location at or near the lagoon entrance is significant, as the area serves as a narrow chokepoint that has previously seen the presence of vessels and floating barriers.
SeaLight said it could not yet determine whether the object is a fixed structure, reef-mounted marker, buoy-type device, monitoring instrument, or another installation.
SeaLight Director Ray Powell said that if the object is confirmed to be a fixed installation, it could raise questions about compliance with the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which calls for self-restraint and avoidance of actions that may escalate disputes or alter the status quo in contested areas.
He added that while the object is small, similar installations on previously uninhabited features have often preceded further developments, calling it a potentially significant development at a sensitive maritime location for the Philippines.
