May 4, 2016 - Dry Tortugas National Park.
Garden Key - site of Ft. Jefferson
Approaching the Fort
South coaling Dock Ruins
Welcome to Ft. Jefferson!
Entry to the Fort
Moat around the Fort
View from 2nd Story
One of the 116 Cannons designed to protect the Fort
Garden Key Lighthouse at Ft. Jefferson
Inside the Fort
Bush Key
Yankee Freedom III Ferry
The Park: Dry
Tortugas National Park is comprised of 100 square miles of mostly open water.
Within its boundaries, there are 7 small islands known as keys. Fort Jefferson, located on the Garden Key, is
the best-known icon of the park. Built between 1846 and 1875, the all-masonry, 16-million brick fort was designed to protect important shipping lanes; however, the Civil War
interrupted its construction and it was never completed.
This Park was established to protect the islands and marine ecosystems within its
boundaries, to preserve Fort Jefferson, the underwater cultural resources
(shipwrecks) and to allow the public to visit in a regulated manner.
When to visit: Dry Tortugas has essentially two seasons –
winter and summer. Winter runs from November thru April and is influenced by cold fronts that can create strong winds and large swells. Summer begins
in May and lasts thru October, which coincides with the Atlantic Hurricane
Season. Summer months are typically hotter and more humid than the winter season. Benefits of a winter visit –
cooler weather, lighter crowds. Benefits of a summer visit – good weather and excellent visibility for snorkeling and viewing marine life.
Our visit happened to take place during the transitional season. the evening before we departed for the park, a cold front passed through the Keys leaving in its wake partly cloudy skies. the good news - the weather was ideal! Low 80s. Almost no humidity. and Zero bugs! The bad news - the front left behind strong winds and a very choppy ocean.
Getting there: Dry Tortugas NP is located 70 west of Key West, FL. Access to this park is either by boat or seaplane. There are no services on the island, so visitors must plan to bring everything they need with them. The park has contracted with several concessionaires who provide transportation to and from the islands.
We opted to take the 3-hour boat ride on the Yankee Freedom III - a 110 foot, 250 passenger catamaran. Prior to departing, Jeff, our "Tour Guide" highly recommended that all passengers susceptible to motion sickness take some Dramamine. He said "the seas were going to be rough for a couple of hours!"
Terry and I took Jeff's advice and we suffered no ill effects from the bumpy ride. Unfortunately, many of the passengers did not heed Jeff's words of wisdom and found their faces firmly planted inside "Barf Bags." The sickening sound of "Ralph" echoed throughout the Main Cabin for a couple of hours!
What to do: Most visitors (including us) come to Dry Tortugas to tour Fort Jefferson;
however, camping, snorkeling and diving about the coral reefs, wildlife
viewing, world class bird watching, kayaking and canoeing are among the many
other activities available to visitors of Dry Tortugas.
Unfortunately, the tremulous ocean stirred up the waters so those who attempted to snorkel said visibility was "poor at best."
Where to stay: There are no lodges or hotels at Dry
Tortugas; however, there is a 10-site primitive campground on Garden Key, the
island where Fort Jefferson is located. Campsites are let on a first-come,
first-served basis. There is an overflow area in case a regular campsite is
unavailable.
Transportation
for those wishing to camp at Dry Tortugas is limited to the Yankee Freedom
Ferry. Bring a tent, as tents are required camping gear on Dry Tortuga! Since
there are no facilities on the island, you will also need to bring food and
beverage!
Trivia: This park gets its name – Dry Tortugas –
from two separate sources. The “tortugas” or turtles part of its name comes
from Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon who, in 1513, found these islands
teeming with hawksbill, leatherback and loggerhead turtles. He named the
islands las tortugas.
Because they
lacked fresh water, early nautical charts indicated these islands to be “dry,”
thus the name Dry Tortugas.
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