Island Seekers

Located in the southern regions of the Gulf of Mexico, 116 km off the northern coast of Mexico's Yucután Peninsula, Arrecife Alacrán is the largest of a group of emergent reefs that lie on the outer edge of the Campeche Bank and form a loose arc of reefs and cays that parallel the northern and western coasts of the Yucután Peninsula.

The western (leeward) rim contains five vegetated cays: Isla Chica, Isla Desterrada, Isla Desertora, Isla Pérez, and Isla Pájaros; there are also areas of shifting sand bank that may become alternatively exposed and removed with wind and wave action as well as being modified by storm activity. The islands are all low-lying and vegetated, rising to no more than 3 m above sea level. Largest of the islands is the elongate Isla Pérez (visible at the far-left in the above image, on the leeward shelf).

The islands of Arrecife Alacrán are regionally important seabird nesting sites as well providing stopover to species migrating across the Gulf of Mexico. Nesting species include Masked Booby, Red-footed Booby, Brown Booby, Laughing Gull, Brown Noddy, Magnificent Frigatebird, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern and Sooty Tern.