Scorpion Reef ( es, Arrecife Alacranes) is an
atoll
An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gro ...
containing a small group of islets in the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
, about 125 km (78 mi; 67 NM) off the northern coast of the state of
Yucatán,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
.
Designated a national park, the reef is part of the
Campeche Bank archipelago
An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands.
Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arch ...
and is the largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico.
It contains five main vegetated islands:
Isla Pérez, Isla Desertora, Isla Pájaros, Isla Chica, and Isla Desterrada.
Isla Pérez is the only inhabited island and includes a lighthouse.
The reef, including its islets and surrounding waters, has been recognised as an
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Inte ...
(IBA) by
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
because it supports a population of
magnificent frigatebirds.
[ ]
History
The British postal steamer ''Tweed'' shipwrecked in Arrecife Alacranes in 1847, with the loss of 72 lives and a cargo of mercury during a journey from
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. to
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
.
See also
*
List of reefs
References
External links
Website of Park
Coral reefs
Biosphere reserves of Mexico
Protected areas of Yucatán
Protected areas of Campeche
Ramsar sites in Mexico
Islands of Yucatán
Islands of Campeche
Reefs of Mexico
Islands claimed under the Guano Islands Act
Important Bird Areas of Mexico
Important Bird Areas of the Caribbean
Seabird colonies
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