The biggest bonefish & permit of Mexico

The Scorpion Atoll is the largest reef in the Southern Gulf of Mexico. It surrounds a small group of islands approximately 70 miles off the northern coast of the state of Yucatán, Mexico. The atoll is shaped by a system of five islands, shallow sandbars, and coral heads – 6 miles wide and 17 miles long. Most of the islands have a skirt from two to five feet deep flats. Others have 80- to 120-foot drops just a couple of steps off the beach. In 1997, the atoll was protected and titled as a marine park by the Mexican Environmental  authority, giving it the benefit of having a core zone where commercial fishing is forbidden, thus the abundance of marine life remains.

Due to the geographical conditions, this area offers a healthy habitat for above average size permit and bonefish. It is also a nesting site for many types of sea birds, as well as a prime turtle nesting site. At times turtle nests can virtually cover the islands. Only one island is inhabited, with a lighthouse keeper and a marine park research unit and a Mexican Navy unit, having their base camps there. Being that far from mainland, the length of stay is limited to the supplies a vessel can carry and the weather.