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Dry Tortugas National Park


Certainly one of the highlights of the whole trip was our
visit to the Dry Tortugas. This island is located 67 miles
west of Key West. Tortuga means turtle in Spanish; the island
and neighboring islands are used by sea turtles to lay their eggs.

 
We had a very enjoyable trip from Key West to the Dry Tortugas on
the Yankee Freedom II high speed catamaran. Breakfast was served
on the way out, and a nice lunch catered on the island. They also
provided snorkeling equipment for us to use around the island.
In addition, the crew was very helpful, knowledgable and friendly.
I highly recommend them.

 
The bridge and one of the hulls of the ship. We were moving at speeds
of up to 30 knots!

 
Maria and I took turns of photographing each other on opposite hulls.

 
Approaching the Dry Tortugas. Fort Jefferson predominates the island.


This photo was taken from the top of the Fort. Behind us you can see
the neighboring island which is a refuge for birds and not accessible
to us. There were thousands of birds there making quite a racket.
This is a birder's paradise where a huge variety of birds either
make their permanent home or are on their migratory routes.

 
The Fort is huge. It once housed over 1000 Union troops during the
Civil War in the blockade of the South. In the photo on the right,
there is an osprey sitting in a tree on the right with a fish in
it's talons!

 
The trip included a tour of the Fort. Here I am manning one of the
cannons in a bastion!

 
Maria looking from inside the Fort at our ship in the background...

 
An interesting variety of tree, the "Gumbo Limbo Tree", is planted
inside the Fort.

 
Here is a closeup of the Gumbo Limbo bark. The tree is sometimes
called the Tourist Tree because the bark looks like tourist's
sunburned skin!

 
Interesting closeups from other trees.

 
There is a campground on the island! Here we see tents nestled 
under the trees. If camping here, you need to bring all your own
water as the "Dry" in "Dry Tortuga" means no fresh drinking water!

 
Maria and I went snorkeling off this beach on the left, and around
the coal barge pilings on the right. There was a variety of soft
and hard coral in very clear water.

 
The Fort moat and a few folks lounging up in the Fort.


One of the many creaky, old boats used by Cuban refugees to get
to freedom. The rule is that if they make it to shore before being
intercepted, they are transported back to Miami, given $960/mo for
six months and the right to stay in the USA. However, many have
died at sea trying to get here. I'm not sure I would cross a creek
in some of the boats I saw!

For more information on the Dry Tortugas, the National
Park Service website can be accessed here.
 
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