| South Water Caye Marine Reserve | |
| Iucn Category: | IV |
| Map: | Belize |
| Relief: | y |
| Location: | Gulf of Honduras, Belize |
| Nearest City: | Dangriga |
| Coordinates: | 16.719°N -88.149°W |
| Coords Ref: | [1] |
| Area: | [2] |
| Established: | 1996 |
| Governing Body: | Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment |
South Water Caye Marine Reserve is the largest marine reserve in the Stann Creek district of Belize. It was established in 1996 and covers of mangrove and coastal ecosystems.[2] It includes the crown reserve of Man-O-War Caye, a nesting site for the brown booby and magnificent frigatebird. In 2017, National Geographic named Pelican Beach on South Water Caye one of the 21 best beaches in the world.[3]
A 1.2m ha site off the coast of Belize, comprising the nation’s offshore and barrier islands, has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of several resident, passage or breeding bird species, including white-crowned pigeons, red-footed boobies, roseate terns, Yucatan vireos, black catbirds, and golden-winged and cerulean warblers. The IBA encompasses the South Water Caye, Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes, Sapodilla Cayes and Glover's Reef marine reserves, Half Moon Caye, Laughing Bird Caye and Man-O-War Caye islands, as well as several spawning aggregations.[4]