| Scorpion Reef | |
| Native Name: | Arrecife Alacranes |
| Pushpin Map: | Mexico |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Location: | Gulf of Mexico Progreso Municipality Yucatán, Mexico |
| Coordinates: | 22.3828°N -89.6827°W |
| Archipelago: | Campeche Bank |
| Total Islands: | 5 |
| Major Islands: | Isla Pérez |
| Country: | Mexico |
Scorpion Reef (Spanish; Castilian: Arrecife Alacranes) is an atoll containing a small group of islets in the Gulf of Mexico, about 125 km (78 mi; 67 NM) off the northern coast of the state of Yucatán, Mexico.[1] Designated a national park, the reef is part of the Campeche Bank archipelago and is the largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico.[2] [3] 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.[4]
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.[5] [6]