Scorpion Reef facts for kids
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Native name:
Arrecife Alacranes
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ISS image of Scorpion Reef
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 Scorpion Reef
Location in Mexico
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| 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 #: | 1820 |
Scorpion Reef (Spanish: Arrecife Alacranes) is a reef surrounding a small group of islands in the Gulf of Mexico off the northern coast of the state of Yucatán, Mexico. Designated a national park, the reef is part of the Campeche Bank archipelago 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 (IBA) by BirdLife International 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 to Veracruz.
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