Scorpion Reef is an atoll containing a small group of islets in the Gulf of Mexico, about 125 km 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 by BirdLife International because it supports a population of magnificent frigatebirds.

History

The 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.