Half Moon Caye

Lighthouse Reef, Belize

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Half Moon Caye is a small crescent-shaped island and natural monument at the southeastern edge of Belize's Lighthouse Reef Atoll, about 90 kilometers offshore from Belize City, recognized as the country's first protected area since 1924 and part of the UNESCO-listed Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System.

The 45-acre site features pristine white-sand beaches, palm-fringed littoral forest, and a visitors' center with a nature trail leading to an observation platform overlooking one of the Caribbean's largest red-footed booby colonies, where thousands of birds nest alongside frigatebirds, iguanas, and endemic geckos.

Divers and snorkelers flock to its dramatic eastern wall dropping over 900 meters with vibrant corals, canyons, eagle rays, nurse sharks, and turtles, while the western side offers calm shallows for swimming and seasonal sea turtle nesting from May to November. Access comes mainly via guided boat tours or liveaboards from the mainland, with a small park fee supporting conservation of this fragile ecosystem.