Belize Half Moon Caye in the Caribbean Sea

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Pictures - photos Belize, Half Moon Caye in the Lighthouse Reef in the Caribbean Sea

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At the Lighthouse Reef Atoll in Belize lies the island of Half Moon Caye which is an ideal location for diving or snorkeling. The island of Half Moon Caye is located 90 km southeast of Belize City and is split into two parts. One part consists of a densely forested area and the second part of a paradise beach with white sand and palm trees. There is a tourist center, a picnic area and a number of hiking trails through the forest. Half Moon Caye was the first protected nature reserve in Belize (since 1928) and the first maritime reserve in Central America.

On Half Moon Caye you can also find a breeding ground of the protected Red-footed Booby birds, which has a population of about 4000 breeding birds on the spot. Half Moon Caye is the only suitable breeding ground in the West Caribbean for the Red-footed Booby. The Red-footed Booby is a white colored bird with a black border on their wings, a blue beak and red legs. They catch diving (ink) fish that they usually swallow immediately before they fly away. In order not to disturb the Red-footed Booby birds and to be able to observe them well, a lookout post has been built that protrudes above the trees. You can make beautiful pictures of these breeding Red-footed Booby birds.

The Magnificent Frigatebirds can also be found at the same breeding ground on Half Moon Caye Island. At the level of their throats, these large black birds have a sort of red bag, which is completely inflated like a balloon when they are sitting on their nest. The Magnificent Frigatebirds sometimes attack the smaller Red-footed Booby in the hope that the latter will hand over their freshly caught meal to them. This behavior is also called knockout parasitime.

Furthermore, on Half Moon Caye Island you will find lizards, iguanas, red and blue crabs, pelicans, herons, etc. There are also two very special species of geckos to be found on Half Moon Caye Island. The leaf-toed gecko and allison's anole gecko are of special interest because of their very limited distribution. The leaf-toed gecko, also known as the Belize atoll gecko, is even an endemic species in Belize. This means that the leaf-toed gecko can not be found anywhere else in the world.

The turtle species Caretta and Hawksbill are both on the list of endangered animals. The Caretta and the Hawksbill turtles come to lay their eggs on the southern sandy beach on Half Moon Caye Island. The Hawksbill turtle is mainly caught to produce all kinds of things such as jewels, et al. Furthermore, both the Caretta and the Hawksbill are hunted for their meat.

The island of Half Moon Caye is easy to reach with organized boat trips from San Pedro, Caye Caulker and Belize City. There are also some operators who offer trips with an overnight stay.

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