Half Moon Caye

Half Moon Caye is an island off the coast of Belize. It belongs to the 450 islands of the Belize Barrier Reef. Administratively, it is part of the Belize District.

Location

Half Moon Caye is located in the southeastern part of the atoll Lighthouse Reef, the farthest from the mainland Atoll within the Belize Barrier Reef. The distance to the mainland (Belize City ) is about 80 km. Because of the frequent hurricanes in the region, the island moves slowly to the north.

History

From 1820 to 2010 there was a lighthouse on the island. The final structure was built in 1931, but broke 2010 under a tropical storm together. Since 1928, the island was as a Crown Reserve Bird Sanctuary nature reserve. After the introduction of the National Park System Act of 1981, the island and the surrounding reef in 1982 were classified as Natural Monument and are managed by the Belize Audubon Society, a spin-off of the National Audubon Society. Today, Half Moon Caye is a popular dive site. There is a small visitor center and a jetty in the eastern part of the island.

Flora and Fauna

The western part of the crescent-shaped island is covered by dense coastal forest, the birds and reptiles provides refuge and habitat. Among other things, there grow many Ziricoten. These serve as a nesting site for a colony of red-footed boobies, because of the island was originally placed under protection. Currently, the population is approximately 4000 copies. The also nesting on Half Moon Caye Prachtfregattvogel is to the red-footed boobies kleptoparasitär. Approx. 20 other bird species nest on Half Moon Caye, plus almost 80 species of migratory birds that temporarily settle on the island. In the forest also endemic in Belize Iceland Leaf -toed Gecko ( Phyllodactylus insularis ) and Allison's Anole live. Other widespread species of reptile on the island are the Green Iguana and the black iguana. On the eastern part of the island there is only a poor vegetation with coconut trees. In the sea around the island to keep on, inter alia, groupers, eagle rays and sea turtles. The real as well as the loggerhead turtle lay on the south beach of the island from their eggs.

Prachtfregattvorgel

Allison's Anole

Hawksbill Turtle