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At Sharky's Dry TortugasFort Jefferson National Park, Dry Tortugas Fl.
Dry Tortugas National Parks formerly Fort Jefferson National Monument, was created on October 25, 1992. This new designation will increase the protection of the marine resource of the 100 square mile park. Fed info # 1-800-688-9889 Parks Info # 1-305-242-7700 The light house at Fort JeffersonLying at the extreme western end of the Florida Keys, 68 miles west of Key West, are seven sand isles called the Dry Tortugas, dominated by the massive block fortress of Fort Jefferson. The Tortugas were first discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513. Abundant sea turtles or "Tortugas" provisioned his ships with fresh meat, but there was no fresh water - the Tortugas were dry. U.S. military attention was drawn to the keys in the early 1800's due to their strategic location. Plans were made for a massive fortress and construction began in 1846, but the fort was never completed. The invention of the rifled cannon made it obsolete. Rainbow over the fort
As the military value of Fort Jefferson waned, its pristine reefs, abundant sea life, and impressive numbers of birds grew in value. In 1935 President Franklin Roosevelt set aside Fort Jefferson and the surrounding waters as a national monument.
The Park is accessible only by boat or seaplane -- contact the park for a current list of private carriers. No water, food, fuel, supplies, or accommodations are available at the park. You must be prepared to bring all your needs and take all your trash back with you. You can camp on Garden Key outside the fort, there is not a lot of space, be prepared to be in close quarters. Snorkeling around the fort is allowed but you can not lobster in the park waters. If you look on a chart you will see that there is some great drop offs just south of the fort but you need a boat to get there.
Photos By Sharky
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