Wednesday, February 19th, 2013

We took a large catamaran to the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson National Park.  We left the Key West Port at 8:00 A.M. and passed many work boats, heading out to the Gulf.  The Dry Tortugas were so named because they have no fresh water available, except rain water they collect and store.  No wells are available that supply fresh water.

After our 2 1/2 hour smooth ride, we toured the fort and came back to the boat for a great lunch buffet.  Next it was time to snorkel and the water was refreshing!  We saw several kinds of fish including, Snook, Parrot Fish, Needle Fish, Sergeant Major Fish, Striped Anchoves by the thousands, Fairy Basslet Fish, Small Mouth Grunts and Yellow Goatfish.  We also saw Fan Coral, Staghorn Coral, and Knob Coral.

After snorkeling we showered, changed and returned to the Yankee Freedom III for our return voyage to Key West.  While on the way back we experience a sonic boom which felt like the boat hit something....we were assured everything was ok...and smoothly sailed back to beautiful Key West.

Some of the many boats we passed as we headed out of the Key West Port.

A private "mansion" far out into the Gulf of Mexico that we passed
on our way to the Dry Tortugas.

Lobster boats setting trap lines

Marquessas Atoll where Ernest Hemingways and buddies often went fishing.
 

Sea turtle nesting island near the Dry Tortugas

Our first glimpse of Ft. Jefferson, and the Garden Key Island Lighthouse

Welcoming beach on Garden Key Island

National Park Service Fort Jefferson boat

Sand bar extending south from Garden Key Island

 

Inside the incomplete fort, ruins of soldiers
quarters in the foreground

Engineers Quarters & kitchen

Magazine at Fort Jefferson

Cannonball furnace

View out cannon doors - Totten shutters
automatically closed after cannon was fired

Moat & seawall surrounding Ft. Jefferson

Inside Fort Jefferson Parade Grounds,
fresh vegetables were grown here at times

Loggerhead Lighthouse on a nearby island (now solar powered)

Cannon - no rifling in the barrel yet!

Seaplane landing with day visitors

Beach where we snorkeled

Frigate Birds circling the fortress

Our ride to and from the Dry Tortugas, Yankee Freedom III

Brown Pelican

Sandpiper

Saying goodby to Garden Key Island and  Fort Jefferson

Two-mast sailboat leaving Key West, as we returned

Ft. Zachary Taylor, Key West, Florida

Custom House - Key West

The sky following sunset, as we were leaving Key West