Here you can see the Eastern half of Half Moon Caye in the distance as we head back to Belize. This end of the island features a bird sanctuary that is home to Red Footed Boobies and Frigate Birds.
The Belize Audubon Society (who are responsible for the reserve) built this brand new dock at Half Moon Caye recently to make it easier for visiting boats to dock. It also make a great place for diving into the crystal clear warm water. You can find out more about the Belize Audubon Society and Half Moon Caye at their website http://www.belizeaudubon.org/parks/hmcnm.htm.
Ahh..... paradise!! One of our guests, Wendy, found the perfect place to relax and enjoy the view from our camp on Half Moon Caye.
This picture shows a closer view of the new and old Lighthouse on the Western end of Half Moon Caye.
In this picture you can see the old and new Lighthouse plus the Ranger station at Half Moon Caye.
The above three pictures are of our camp at Half Moon Caye, home for our guests for the next 6 days. With the white sand, shade from the coconut trees, access to various beaches, incredible snorkeling and even a Bird Sanctuary, it is not hard to see why Island Expeditions guests and staff love this amazing place.
These three pictures are taken from the boat as we first arrive at Half Moon Caye. After months of waiting to get out to Lighthouse these pictures show that the beauty of Half Moon Caye was worth the wait, it truly is Paradise!
These first two pictures show passengers aboard the boat during the 2 hour ride from Belize City to our base at Half Moon Caye. Water and plenty of sunscreen was a necessity as the sun was shining during the entire trip.
Ever since I knew I was heading to Belize I had been looking forward to visiting Lighthouse Reef Atoll and in early April I finally got my wish. As I had a breakfast meeting the following day I only got to spend about 30 minutes at our base camp at Half Moon Caye, but it was worth the 2 hour boat ride from Belize City to see this incredible island. Half Moon Caye is one of two Atoll base camps run by Island Expeditions, the other being our camp at South West Caye on Glovers Reef Atoll.
Lighthouse Reef was made famous by the 1970 expedition of the famous Jacque Cousteau to the Blue Hole. The Blue Hole is a deep, circular and incredibly blue sinkhole in the center of Lighthouse Reef and attracts divers from all over the world.
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. Half Moon Caye is located at the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef, the easternmost 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 underbrush.
You can learn more about Lighthouse Reef and Half Moon Caye at the websites below.
http://www.travelbelize.org/hmcnm.html
http://www.belizeexplorer.com/index.html
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