Scorpion Reef

Scorpion Reef, known also as Arrecife Alacranes, sits well off the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico, roughly 130 kilometers north of Progreso. It forms a small coral atoll with a scattering of sandy cays, marking one of the few true atolls in the Gulf. Access is by boat from Yucatan's northern coast, typically a multi-hour crossing given its remote position. The site is rated an advanced dive, with depth and open ocean exposure among the hazards divers face here. Divers have reported dolphins, hammerhead sharks, jacks and amberjacks, manta rays, reef sharks, tuna, whales, and whale sharks passing through these waters, reflecting its exposed, open-ocean character far from the mainland.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Reef sharkReef sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• DolphinDolphinReported here · unconfirmed
• Jack / amberjackJack / amberjackReported here · unconfirmed
• Mustard Hill CoralPorites astreoidesReported here · unconfirmed
• Purple Sea FanGorgonia ventalinaReported here · unconfirmed
• Greater Star CoralMontastraea cavernosaReported here · unconfirmed
• Whale sharkWhale sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• Manta rayManta rayReported here · unconfirmed
• Hammerhead sharkHammerhead sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• WhaleWhaleReported here · unconfirmed
• Whale SharkRhincodon typusReported here · unconfirmed
• TunaTunaReported here · unconfirmed