Scorpion Reef (Spanish: Arrecife Alacranes) is an atoll containing a small group of islets in the Gulf of Mexico, about 125 kilometres (78 mi; 67 NM) off the northern coast of the state of Yucatán, Mexico.[2] Designated a national park, the reef is part of the Campeche Bank archipelago and is the largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico.[3][4] It contains five main vegetated islands: Isla Pérez, Isla Desertora, Isla Pájaros, Isla Chica, and Isla Desterrada.[3][4] Isla Pérez is the only inhabited island and includes a lighthouse.[3] The reef, including its islets and surrounding waters, has been recognised as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports a population of magnificent frigatebirds.[5]
Native name: Arrecife Alacranes | |
|---|---|
 ISS image of Scorpion Reef | |
  Scorpion Reef | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Gulf of Mexico Progreso Municipality Yucatán, Mexico |
| Coordinates | 22°22′58″N 89°40′57.8″W / 22.38278°N 89.682722°W |
| Archipelago | Campeche Bank |
| Total islands | 5 |
| Major islands | Isla Pérez |
| Administration | |
| Official name | Parque Nacional Arrecife Alacranes |
| Designated | 2 February 2008 |
| Reference no. | 1820[1] |
History
editThe British postal steamer Tweed was wrecked on the reef en route from Havana to Veracruz in 1847, with the loss of 72 lives and a cargo of mercury.[6][7]
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Map
See also
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References
edit- ^ "Parque Nacional Arrecife Alacranes". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ "Alacranes Reef". Yucatan Today. 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ^ a b c "Arrecife Alacrán". GulfBase. Archived from the original on 24 September 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Instituto Nacional de Ecología" (in Spanish). Parque Marino Nacional Arrecife Alacranes. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ^ "Arrecife Alacranes". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ "The Wreck of the West India Ship Tweed". The Times. No. 19519. London. 9 April 1847. col A-E, p. 5.
- ^ Alone in Mexico: The astonishing travels of Karl Heller, 1845-1848. University of Alabama Press. 2007. ISBN 978-0-8173-1588-7.
External links
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- Website of Park (dead link; archive)
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