The Dry Tortugas

Day 82 – Sat January 26

Saturday at 7:45AM we left for a 2 ½ hour trip to the Dry Tortugas National Park aboard Yankee Freedom II, a high speed ferry. Bob spent a fair amount of time on the bridge conversing with the captain.

The seven remote islands, composed of coral and sand, are located 68 miles west of Key West and 90 miles from Cuba. In 1513, Ponce de Leon named the islands Las Tortugas (the turtles) because of the abundance of large sea turtles. The word dry was added later by mariners to indicate there is no fresh water. Even today, conditions at the park are primitive; all power is generated on site, water is made with reverse osmosis purifiers, there are no restrooms, and cell phones are useless.

We spent a delightful and memorable day on the island with a guided tour of Fort Jefferson, swimming in the clear blue waters, and snorkeling part of the reef surrounding the fort.

History of Fort Jefferson

The Tortugas are located along one of the world’s busiest deep water shipping channels. By 1829, the United States knew it could better protect its interests by fortifying the islands to control the heavy ship traffic passing between the Gulf Coast and the eastern seaboards of the United States.

In 1848, the construction of Fort Jefferson, one of the largest forts ever built, began. There are 16,000,000 bricks in the fort, making it the largest brick structure in the Western Hemisphere. Granite for the fort was brought from Vermont, and marble from New York. That in itself was no mean feat, considering the modes of transportation available. Construction continued for the next 30 years… plagued by heat, lack of water, manpower, malaria, and construction design flaws. Over the lengthy construction period, large numbers of enslaved workers were employed by the Army, and often hired from wealthy Key West owners. Although the fort was never completed or fully armed, it was an undeniable symbol that the United States wanted to be left alone, thereby fulfilling its intended role - helping to protect the peace and prosperity of a young nation.

During the Civil War, the fort was a Union military prison. Its most famous prisoner was Dr. Samuel Mudd, known in history as one of the “Lincoln Conspirators,” the physician who set the leg of John Wilkes Booth. During his imprisonment, he played a key role in treating victims of two yellow fever epidemics. He was pardoned by President Andrew Jackson and allowed to return home to Maryland.

In 1992, the Tortugas were redesignated a National Park to protect the historical features, coral reefs, nesting birds, endangered green sea turtles, loggerhead turtles, Sooty Terns, frigate birds, and other wildlife on the islands.

The Tortugas have become a destination for Cubans seeking amnesty in the United States. In 2006, over 2,000 Cubans fled Cuba, crossing the 90 miles of open sea packed in small unstable craft, called “chugs,” or in high speed motor boats.

Snorkling

We saw thousands of small fish, many different types of coral, and several beautiful red-purple sea fans. While swimming over two four-foot barracudas, Bob turned his head and came face to face with a third barracuda staring at him half an arm’s length away. Several of the snorklers encountered a sting ray.