HALF MOON CAYE NATIONAL MONUMENT

This site, managed by the Audubon Society and offering accommodation, is located southeast of Lightouse Reef Atoll, itself the most remote atoll on the mainland. Forest-covered Half Moon Caye is home to a large colony of seabirds known as Sulas. Its beaches are an important nesting site for three species of sea turtle: green, loggerhead and hawksbill (May to November). The island is surrounded by a coral reef that rises to the surface. Divers flock here in large numbers to dive along its drop-off, which plunges vertically into the abyss at a depth of 2,000 meters.

Half Moon Caye Wall. This is a superb diving site, offering the chance to discover a wide range of underwater formations. Along the upper edge of the barrier, the average depth is between 12 and 14 meters. This is followed by a rugged relief, with ridges and crevasses up to 50 m deep. Inside the reef, the temperature drops, and exceptional sponge formations can be observed, as well as a large number of moray eels. There are also red hermit crabs, blue parrotfish, schools of groupers and barracudas, eagle rays and more. The outer edge of the wall then descends to depths of over 1,800 m. The sheer number of sharks that can be encountered at Half Moon Caye in itself justifies a visit to Half Moon Caye.