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Florida, #4, the Dry Tortugas

Seventy miles west of Key West, are a cluster of islands known now as the Dry Tortugas.  Part of the US National Park system, they are “dry” because they don’t have any source of potable fresh water on the islands other than rain.  Fort Jefferson, used during the civil war in fact, is the “home base” for the National Park.   The easiest way to get there is via the Park service ferry, which departs from Key West:

Ferry dock sign for our day out to the Dry Tortugas

The trip takes about 2 1/2 hours, which I passed reading, sketching and watching the passing view.  Before long you leave the smaller islands at the end of the Florida keys and are in open water.  70 miles later, you reach Fort Jefferson on Garden Key. Before boarding (early, at least for a vacation day), we stopped here:

Morning coffee from the Cuban Coffee Queen—lots of locals getting good, STRONG coffee and Cuban bread here. So did we…YUM!

The first photo I took on Garden Key was of this shore bird, which I have yet to identify. Perhaps a ??????  I checked the bird checklist for the Dry Tortugas and my two bird books (US Eastern/Peterson and another for the Caribbean), and am still unsure.

There are two former coal-off-loading piers near the island, and the piers are now roosts for brown noddies and sooty terns and brown pelicans. And LOOK at the colors in the sea and sky….SIGH….think I’ll paint our front door one of those blues! PS–that stuff you see just above the water is two snorkelers (fin and facemask)

There is a moat around the fort–saltwater. So nice of hubby to wear a perfect-for-a-photo red shirt! The sand was SO HOT I think I sunburned the bottom of my feet!

After about an hour snorkeling, we took a break for lunch on the ferry boat (included in the tour price) and then walked on the top of the fort.

And the view from the top of Fort Jefferson. How awesome are those colors…MY colors. I’ve said that like Winslow Homer, I went to the Caribbean (about 28 years ago) and was infected with color!

Close up of the brown noddies on one of the piers

One more shot of that glorious aqua water….sigh….

Heading back…Eli looks over the bow of the ferry as we prepare to head back to Key West

 

2 Responses to “Florida, #4, the Dry Tortugas”

  1. Jackie K Says:

    We’ve yet to do the excursion to the Dry Tortugas – it’s on the list. Could your mystery bird be a Glossy Ibis? Looks similar to those I’ve seen…

  2. Ann in FL Says:

    I agree with Jackie on the mystery bird. Definitely an ibis – probably a glossy ibis from the photo. Glad you had a good time down here.