The animal life on Half Moon is fascinating whether you prefer your creatures on land, in the sea, or in the sky! I’m seriously happy to report that there are no big scary insects on the island. There are some cool, tiny spiders with glowing green eyes that you might see at night with your flashlight.
The Nurse Sharks
I start with these because they are my favorite. There are about 4 sharks that hang out around the island. They know where the fish are cleaned and they know that the boats bring the fish, so you will most often see them around 4:30 pm each day. There are likely one or two hanging around where the boats at any time of the day and I have encountered a couple resting in the sea grass when I was swimming. When the day’s catch is being cleaned, they swarm around to get the fish guts, and being so close to them and watching them interact with each other is one of the things that brings me back again and again.
The Hermit Crabs
The island has hundreds of hermit crabs, if not thousands. They are extremely active at night and in places where they find food, like behind the kitchen. Watching them is fascinating. I’ve seen several of them exchange shells, and I’ve watched one fight another for it’s shell. It can be a bit spooky at night to hear the shells clacking together and one of the reasons you need a headlamp is to avoid these “speed bumps” on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
The Red-Footed Boobies
While birds are not high on my list of animals that typically fascinate me, these birds are a big deal. There are limited places in the world that you can see them, and Half Moon is home to around 4,000 of them during the nesting season. It is really cool to observe them from the bird tower and see their nests in the trees with babies that look like big cotton balls! And of course, the limitless opportunity for booby jokes satisfies the 12-year old boy in all of us!
Magnificent Frigate Birds
These birds soar like kites rather than fly, using their forked tail for direction in the wind. The males have a scarlet throat pouch and the birds are known as the “Pirates of the Caribbean” because they eat by stealing food from other birds–even by causing them to regurgitate. They cannot dive but I have seen a Frigate snatch fish guts away from a Nurse Shark! You can see them in the treetops from the bird tower or watch them soar while lying in a hammock. You can read more about the Magnificent Frigates here, or better yet, just go see them for yourself!
Check out my Half Moon Caye Gallery to see more pictures of these beautiful creatures!