Bajo Nuevo Bank

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Bajo Nuevo Bank, also called the Petrel Islands, is located in the western Caribbean Sea with a lighthouse on Bajo Nuevo Bank at 15°51′ N 78°38′ W.

Bajo Nuevo is a small reef with some small islets, covered with grass. The reef was first shown on Dutch maps, dated to 1634, but first shown by its present name in 1654. Bajo Nuevo was re-discovered by the British Glover in 1660. Bajo Nuevo is about 26 kilometers long and 9 kilometers wide. The most prominent cay is Low Cay, 300 m long and 40 m wide. Low Cay is about 5 ft high and barren. It is composited of broken coral, driftwood, and sand. On Low Cay is a lighthouse, located at 15°51′ N 78°38′ W. It is unclear if the Bajo Nuevo Bank Lighthouse is active or not. When the lighthouse is/was active, it emits/emitted a focal plane beam of light as two white flashes of light every 15 seconds from a 21 m (69 ft) metal tower, painted white with a red top. It is unclear who, if anybody, operates the lighthouse.

Bajo Nuevo is the subject of conflicting claims on the part of the United States, Jamaica and Colombia (and possibly even Honduras). Colombia considers Bajo Nuevo Bank as being part of San Andrés and Providencia. The claim by the United States derives from the Guano Islands Act and specifically refers to the Low Cay. While it is clear that almost all of the islands in the area of what is now San Andrés and Providencia that were occupied by the United States on grounds of the Guano Islands Act since the late 19th century were returned by the United States to Colombia in 1982, it is unclear if Serranilla Bank, Bajo Nuevo Bank (and possibly Rosalind Bank) have been also returned by the United States to Colombia or not. According to some online sources, Bajo Nuevo Bank was returned by the United States to Colombia in 1982. According to other online sources, Bajo Nuevo Bank was not returned by the United States to Colombia. If the claim by the United States on Bajo Nuevo Bank is valid, Bajo Nuevo Bank would be considered an unorganized, unincorporated United States territory. In the case of Bajo Nuevo Bank, the situation is even more complicated than in the case of Serranilla Bank because of the relative close proximity of Bajo Nuevo Bank to Jamaica, probably evoking or having evoked claims by Jamaica for Bajo Nuevo Bank. On the other hand, the situation in the case of Bajo Nuevo Bank seems to be also less complicated compared to the case of Serranilla Bank because the distance between Bajo Nuevo Island and Honduras is considerably greater than the distance between Serranilla Bank and Honduras, thus weakening possible claims by Honduras for Bajo Nuevo Bank.