Exploring Arrecife Alacranes: A Jewel of the Gulf of Mexico
Nestled off the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, Arrecife Alacranes National Park and Biosphere Reserve protects the largest reef complex in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Its name, Spanish for "Scorpion Reef," describes the claw-like arrangement of coral banks and shoals visible from above, a shape that has made the reef both a striking natural feature and, for centuries, one of the most feared hazards to shipping anywhere in the Gulf.