Fort Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas

The Dry Tortugas are about 70 miles away from Key West and can only be reached by boat or seaplane.  They were discovered by Ponce de Leone on the early 1500’s and he called them Las Tortugas because of the vast numbers of sea turtles in the area.  Later on the word dry was added to mariners charts to warn them that there was no fresh water on the islands.   

On a hot summer day I decided to make my way over to the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson aboard the Yankee Freedom II.  Check in is at 7:30 AM.  Everybody at the boat was so nice and cheerful it got the day off to a good start even though it was so early.  As I boarded the boat I felt tiny as compared to the 100 feet of boat in front of me. I walked around to steak out a location that I wanted to spend the ride out on.  Seating in the cabin or on the upper deck.  I went for the upper deck because it was nice out early on in the day and I love the breeze blowing through my hair.  Plus, the view is great.   

The Yankee Freedom II started out and we all waved goodbye to the island of Key West. The water was beautiful and the ride comfortable.  After about 20 minutes of sitting on the upper deck, relaxing, and reading a book I made my way downstairs to the galley and made myself a plate for breakfast.  The choices were many: coffee, tea, juice, donuts, yogurt, cereal, bagels and fruit.  I then headed back upstairs and enjoyed my breakfast in the open air.  We passed by the Marquesas Keys, saw sea turtles and dolphin playing around the boat while listening to the music playing onboard.  The two hour trip went by before I even knew it.   

Upon arriving at the Dry Tortugas we were given a tour of the old civil war fort, Fort Jefferson.  It was so cool visiting this historic monument which was never completely finished; however, I learned with my fellow tourists that it was utilized during the Civil War as a military prison, even holding 4 men convicted of complicity in Abraham Lincoln’s murder.  The best part of the tour is reaching the top of Fort Jefferson and the connected lighthouse and taking in the breathtaking views from above. It is a sight that will stay with me forever.   

After the tour of Fort Jefferson we headed to the picnic area where a buffet was laid out for us.  We enjoyed sandwiches, fruit, chips, and sodas while overlooking the water.  It was time to gather the snorkel gear I borrowed from the boat and see what I could see in the shallow, clear waters.  Bright tropical fish swam around me and coral heads dotted the area.  I decided to just relax for awhile so I dropped the gear off on the beach and walked around looking for shells.  There were so many tiny and beautiful shells that any shell enthusiast would have a blast.  I floated in the shallow waters near the beach for the rest of my stay, getting some rays while keeping cool in the crystal clear water.   

Before heading back to the boat I stopped in to the little gift shop on the island.  There were pamphlets, magnets, books, and other souvenirs related to the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson.  I picked out a magnet and headed out toward the boat. 

At about 3:00 PM or so we turned in our snorkel gear and boarded the boat to head back to Key West.  After a whole day of sun I opted to sit inside on the ride home.  I sat down in the galley, got myself a pina colada, and did some people watching.  Finally, after a full day at the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson I fell asleep in my seat.  I awoke when we were about 15 minutes away from the dock and I read for the rest of the trip. 

 As we disembarked I tipped the crew for their hospitality and the great job that they did and headed to the drug store to get my film developed so that I could share my Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson experience with all of my friends.