Alice Shoal

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Location of Alice Shoal
in the Jamaica-Colombia Joint Regime

NASA Landsat image of Alice Shoal, visible color
40 percent brightness and contrast enhanced

Alice Shoal, in Spanish Banco Alicia or Bajo Alicia, is a wholly submerged reef, located 31 km northeast of East Cay of Serranilla Bank, and 48 km WNW of Bajo Nuevo Bank, at 16°05′N, 79°22′W. The bank is about 16 km in diameter as defined by the 200 m isobath, which correspondents to an area of more than 200 km². There are no islets, cays or above-water rocks. The bank has a least depth of 11 metres, with coral bottom, at its eastern edge. Depths over the greater part of the bank are less than 36 m. The bottom is fine white sand. Rips mark the edges of the bank.

The bank, considered to be part of the Colombian department of San Andrés y Providencia, is the northernmost feature of Colombia, although it falls within the Joint Regime of Colombia and Jamaica [1], which is closer (260 km to the main island and 200 km to the Pedro Cays), while the Colombian mainland is 740 km away. The closest piece of land is East Cay of Serranilla Bank, 31 km away. Because of this proximity, the bank falls within the EEZ of Colombia.