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(Stop 15 of 21)
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HALF MOON CAYE NATURAL MONUMENT (Stop 15 of 21) |
| The Half Moon Caye Natural Monument was established in March of 1982. The was the first reserve to be created under Belize's National Parks System Act of 1981. | |||
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Half Moon Caye is located at the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef, the eastern most atoll of Belize's three atolls. Lighthouse Reef is located about 50 miles east-southeast of Belize City. The caye itself is only eight feet above sea level and approximately 45 acres in size. The caye is divided into two very distinct ecosystems. | ||
| The western half of the caye is densely vegetated. The soils are made rich and fertile by guano from thousands of sea birds nesting in the area. The eastern half by comparison is vegetated primarily by coconut palms and very little under brush. | |||
| Half Moon Caye is a sand caye formed by the accumulation of coral, shell and calcareous algae fragments. These fragments are produced from the continuous wave action pounding the atoll's coast. In some areas, the seawater and the fragments of calcium carbonate (the mineral shells and corals are made of) chemically bind, forming flat, hard, beach rock with numerous tide pools and ledges. |
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| One of the principle inhabitants of Half Moon Caye's western side is the Red-footed Booby, numbering around 4000 breeding birds. This booby is one of the main reasons the natural monument was created. The adult booby population of this caye is unusual in having an almost total predominance of the white color phase. The only other similar booby colony is on an island near Tobago. Elsewhere, adult Red-footed Boobies are dull brown. | |||
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The boobies coexists with their pirate neighbors, the magnificent frigatebird, that have a seven-foot wing span. Some 98 other species of birds have been recorded on the caye; 77 of these are migrants. 17 of the migratory species were recorded regularly enough to indicate that they winter on or near the caye. Ospreys, mangrove warblers, and white-crowned pigeons are among the caye's regular inhabitants. | ||
| Loggerhead turtles and hawksbill turtles, both listed as internationally endangered species, come ashore to lay their eggs on the sandy southern beaches. The hawksbill is exploited for its shell from which ornaments, jewelry and other items are made. Both the loggerhead and the hawksbill are still sought for their meat. | |||
| The orange flowered Ziricote is the dominant plant species on the western end of the caye, with the red barked Gumbo Limbo and fig trees intermingled throughout. Coconut palms dominate the eastern end of the caye. The beautiful spider lily can be found throughout the caye. |
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| The waters surrounding Half Moon Caye are teeming with marine life. The shallow lagoon behind the caye is dominated by seagrass beds and interspersed with patch reef and shallow low relief reefs. | |||
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| The reefs to the south of the caye slope gently to a drop off. Beyond the drop off the water depth increases to over 2000 feet. Here are where the deep water species lurk. Huge jewfish over 5 feet long, the ferocious and harmful baracuda can reach sizes of 5 or six feet. Blue marlin prowl the deeps off Lighthouse Reef, searching for the schools of jacks and dolphins (the fish, not the mammal) for food. Half Moon Caye and Lighthouse Reef are truely one of the marine gems of not only Belize, but of the world. And as if all this is not enough, to the north of Half Moon Caye, lies the famous Blue Hole. | |||
 
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