Half Moon Caye

Half Moon Caye
The windward shore of Half Moon Caye
Half Moon Caye is located in Belize
Half Moon Caye
Half Moon Caye
Geography
LocationLighthouse Reef
Coordinates17°12′17″N 87°32′11″W / 17.2047°N 87.5364°W / 17.2047; -87.5364
Adjacent toCaribbean Sea
Area0.168 km2 (0.065 sq mi)[1]
Length0.8 km (0.5 mi)
Width0.2 km (0.12 mi)
Administration
Belize
DistrictBelize District

Half Moon Caye is an island and natural monument of Belize located at the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef Atoll.[1][2] This natural monument was the first nature reserve to have been established in Belize under the National Park Systems Act in 1981 and first marine protected area in Central America. This is also Belize's oldest site of wildlife protection since it was first designated as a bird sanctuary in 1924 to protect the habitat of the red-footed booby birds.[3]

  1. ^ a b Belize Audubon Society (2008). "Half Moon Caye Natural Monument". Archived from the original on 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
  2. ^ Belize Tropical Forest Studies (2010). "Half Moon Caye Natural Monument". Biodiversity and Environmental Resource Data System.
  3. ^ Robinson, Julianne S. (October 2000). "Lighthouse Reef Atoll Conservation and Protection Project" (PDF). U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) PROARCA/CAPAS. Retrieved 7 December 2015.