Dry Tortugas National Park

We were on the road by 6:15 a.m. heading for the terminal on the harbor from which we could load onto the Yankee Freedom III.  It was a beautiful morning and we needed to be at the terminal by 7:00 to board at 7:30 a.m.  We weren't the first people there but our boarding passes were #14 and #15.  It was good to have such a low number because it meant we got first choice of seating on the ferry.  We chose upstairs and inside of the cabin.  As we were waiting to board we noticed that we were the only passengers that didn't carry a backpack or big bag.  I only had a small fanny pack and Carol had nothing but the camera.  We told ourselves that less bags meant less we had to keep track of.  At the end of the trip, we were glad that we didn't have all the extra carry-ons.  Dry Tortugas National Park is located 70 west of Key West.  It contains seven keys.  The largest is Garden Key and Fort Jefferson is located on it.  Tortugas is Spanish for turtle.  First explorers of the area found the gulf waters around the keys were heavily populated with green and loggerhead turtles.  When it was discovered that there was no fresh water on the keys, it became known as "Dry Tortugas."

Sunrise

The ferry trip took 2 1/2 hours going and 2 1/2 hours returning.  This is the first view of Fort Jefferson.

Construction began on Fort Jefferson in 1846 and continued for 30 more years when it was abandoned in 1874 and third story was unfinished.  During the Civil War it was held by the North.  Although they didn't fire any shots from their cannons, it kept Southern ships from delivering much needed materials to the Southern ports.  After Abraham Lincoln's assassination, Dr. Mudd was convicted of helping Booth and sent to Fort Jefferson which was a Union military prison.  There was no fresh water on this island so everything had to be shipped from Key West.  It would not be a good military assignment for any soldier.

The picture above shows the building in which cannonballs were made

A view of the officers' quarters.  The enlisted soldiers' quarters were never completed during the construction of the fort.

There were 107 pits dug in which to catch rain water since there was no fresh water source.  Our guide told us to not stand on these covers but also said that during each tour, he usually sees someone standing on one.

A mote surrounds the fort.

The Gulf water surrounding the island.

These building provide lodging for the National Park Service employees who work at the fort.  They come to the island for 10 days and then are off for five.  There is still no water or supplies so everything has to be brought in by boat or airplane. All refuge is removed from the island in the same way.

The walls of the fort are 8 feet thick.  It took 16 million bricks to built what has been completed of the fort and, of course, everyone had to be made and brought to the island.

From the dock we saw several jellyfish in the water.

The green sea turtles are endangered and the loggerheads are threatened so naturalists are very interested in the nesting count each year.  This sign says that 2023 was a record breaking year. We did not seen any turtles but we saw lots of brown pelicans, jellyfish and other fish.  Snorkeling was a popular activity for those on this tour.  The water is  shallow and clear.

We saw this white crane on the shore.

We saw several seaplanes land and take-off the four hours we were on the island.

This is the Yankee Freedom III.  We saw on the top inside area of the ferry.  The ticket price included a continental breakfast and sack lunch from Jersey's Mikes.  Drinks and snacks could be purchased.  There were 175 passengers and a crew of six to eight.

We got back to the ferry terminal around 5:30 and ate supper at a restaurant on the dock named "Boat House."  It was very good.  Carol had a seafood platter and I had a salad.  We both agreed that the day was very good.  We are so glad that we went to the park but it is a one and done.  On both trips we shared the table at which we sat with two very nice couples.  We enjoyed talking to them and learning about their lives.  Tomorrow we head back up north to Winter Haven.  We are going to drive a different route hoping to find a better way to take the motorhome through that crazy Miami traffic to the Everglades on Monday.

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The Boat House Restaurant.