Day 20 - Dry Tortugas, Gulf of Mexico (Feb 16, 2011)

Day 20 – Wednesday, February 16, 2011 - Key West, FL

This will be an early start today as we are taking the 8AM, ferry the Yankee Freedom II to the Dry Tortugas. I have wanted to go to these islands since the last trip to Key West some 13 years ago.

What is special about this place:

• 70 Miles WEST of Key West in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico and in Central Time Zone
• Middle of nowhere (kind of) it is part of the extreme western end of the Marquesa islands
• Has the largest masonry (all brick) fort in the US (Fort Jefferson), there are over 1,000,000 bricks in this fort, all brought in by ship in the 1860's)
• No phones, no water, just out there!! (it has a Satellite Pay Phone and a Weather Radio in the boater registration station)
• Is a National Park, and is one of the most remote in the United States.

The trip on the ferry is about 2hrs and 20minutes on a high speed catamaran, with about 120 passengers, they serve breakfast and lunch on board.

Upon arrival at Garden Key, we take a tour of Fort Jefferson, which is most interesting as this one site controlled all shipping in the Gulf of Mexico and controlled access to New Orleans and other US ports. I played a role in the Spanish American War as well as a military prison during the Civil War for the Union Army (the North), the famous prisoner was Dr. Mudd, who was accused as part of the Lincoln Assassination.

Make sure you visit this web site to learn more: www.nps.gov/drto

The fort is massive, and was never finished and the US Army abandoned it in 1874, it became a National Monument in 1935 and a National Park in 1992. You can camp here but you must bring in all water food, fuel, etc.. It is a harsh environment, but the waters and surrounding area are unbelievable. Most Loggerhead Turtles nest in this area either on Loggerhead Key or on Hospital Key, as well Bush Key is home to 30,000 Frigate Birds and then throw in a Nurse Shark Breading area, you have so much traffic both in the air and underwater that it is truly amazing.

The boat returns at 2:45, but Karen and I do get in about 1 hour of snorkeling in the area West of the old West Coal Dock, the water here is clear but about 5ft deep, other than a nosy Barracuda there is not that much sea life, just not deep enough.

Ken and Karen in Key West, FL