Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson

Nearly 70 miles off the coast of Key West, this 100 square mile collection of reefs and islands can only be reached by air or boat.  We had seen surreal photos of this island fort, and were really grateful to get a spot on the boat for a day trip.  (Next time we will plan further in advance to reserve a spot to camp overnight) A day trip just wasn't long enough to take in all the beauty of this place. 

Our boat left the port at Key west (conveniently located just down the dock from Cuban Coffee) at 8am. 

We did our best to ready ourselves for a two hour ride rocking three to five foot waves, but only two of us made it without loosing our breakfast. Ugh. 

The waves subsided just as we neared the islands to this majestic view!

At that moment I realized there was a part of me that didn't believe this place actually existed without trick photography. It was an illustration from a fairy tale book. Even on this overcast morning, the water was glorious blue and the fort was like a castle rising from the ocean.

Dry Tortugas got its name from the many turtles found on the island by the Spanish explorer in 1513, and "dry" because of the absence of fresh water. 

When Florida was acquired from Spain in 1822, the Dry Tortugas was a perfect location to control the Florida straits as well as commerce to and from the Mississippi River. 

We explored all three levels of the fort, whose initial construction was built by slaves. It was refreshing to be able to explore nearly every area, even if there were no guardrail.  

The fort was never involved in battle, but became a prison for dissenting soldiers.  Four civilian prisoners came to the island in 1865.  Dr. Samuel Mudd was convicted of conspiracy in the assassination of President Lincoln after assisting John Wilkes Booth in a leg injury.  He was sentenced to life in prison at Fort Jefferson.  Mudd attempted escape as a stowaway on a transport ship, but was discovered, loosing the privilege of working in the prison hospital.  When a yellow fever outbreak took the lives of many prisoners and the doctor, Mudd took over as physician and was instrumental in curbing the spread on the island.  Because of his good work, President Andrew Johnson pardoned him, releasing him to complete is life in freedom. 

The fort itself, although unfinished, is still the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere, consisting of over 16 million bricks! A series of cisterns had been constructed to capture rain water until cracks in the cisterns allowed salt water to contaminate the water.  Now water is brought in by boat for the park rangers who live full time in this magical place.  At its peak there were 2,000 living on the island. It is hard to imagine so many people in such a remote location.  For a location that is prone to hurricane, it is safe to say that Fort Jefferson is the safest place to be.  The rangers live on the second floor behind eight foot thick walls.  

The Dry Tortugas has fantastic snorkeling, and the boat offered complimentary snorkel gear for us to use for the day!  Unfortunately, the previous days of rain had stirred up the sand so much that visibility was really limited.  We tried anyway, grateful for the chance to practice a new skill.  Even just experiencing swimming without needing to come up for a breath was fantastic.  It was easy to quickly escape into an underwater world, becoming completely unaware of how far I was wandering.  It was exhilarating, until I thought about Carlos, the resident crocodile.  Sure, crocodiles are extremely timid, and Carlos doesn't often make himself visible, he is still a wild creature, and I love being alive!

Shells like this were all over the island, most of them making the home for a hermit crab or other creature.  Some beaches are open for collecting, but this is a beach where we got to enjoy the treasures and leave them for the next visitor to discover. 

All this great glorious reef to explore is an obvious threat for ships traveling.  Due to erosive effects of  tropical storms, the shorelines are constantly changing. Two lighthouses help guide ships through a narrow passage. There are, however, many shipwrecks in the waters surrounding the islands, another attraction for snorkelers.  The Garden Key lighthouse is part of the fort, and Loggerhead Key stands three miles west providing additional light.  

The kids were excited to finish the work to earn their Junior Ranger badge, and sat with the most patient park ranger.  I know it is their job to help young ones understand the value of their place in the preservation of our parks, but it isn't always our experience.  In addition to earning their badge, they also got an ice cream on the boat ride back, compliments of the ranger.