Dry Tortugas National Park is an American national park located about 68 miles (109 km) west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, in the United States. The park preserves Fort Jefferson and the several Dry Tortugas islands, the westernmost and most isolated of the Florida Keys. The archipelago's coral reefs are the least disturbed of the Florida Keys reefs.
The park is noted for abundant sea life, tropical bird breeding grounds, colorful coral reefs, and shipwrecks and sunken treasures. The park's centerpiece is Fort Jefferson, a massive but unfinished coastal fortress. Fort Jefferson is the largest brick masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere,[5][6] composed of more than 16 million bricks. Dry Tortugas is unique in its combination of a largely undisturbed tropical ecosystem with significant historic artifacts. The park is accessible only by seaplane or boat and has averaged about 63,000 visitors annually in the period from 2008 to 2017.[3] Activities include snorkeling, picnicking, birdwatching, camping, scuba diving, saltwater fishing and kayaking. Overnight camping is limited to eight primitive campsites at the Garden Key campground, located just south of Fort Jefferson.[7]
The Dry Tortugas are a small archipelago of coral islands about 70 miles (110 km) west of Key West, Florida. They represent the westernmost extent of the Florida Keys, though several reefs and submarine banks continue westward outside the park, beyond the Tortugas.
The park area is more than 99 percent water. The northern and western portions of the park, including the central island group, were designated a 46-square-mile (120 km2) research natural area in 2007, in which no marine life may be taken, nor may vessels anchor. Vessels wishing to moor in this area must use designated mooring buoys or docks. About 54 percent of the park remains open for fishing.[9] The park is bordered on the east, south and west by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and on the northwest by the Tortugas Ecological Reserve.[10]
The keys are low and irregular. Some have thin growths of mangroves, and various other vegetation, while the smallest have only small patches of grass, or no plant life. There are nominally seven islands, but there have been up to eleven during the past two centuries. The islands are continually changing in size and shape, and the number of distinct landmasses varies, as changing water levels expose and cover the lower islands and sandy land bridges between some of the islands.[11][12] Some of the smaller islands have disappeared and reappeared multiple times as a result of hurricane impact. The major islands within the park are, roughly from west to east, Loggerhead Key, Garden Key, Bush Key, Long Key, Hospital Key, Middle Key, and East Key.[13] The total land area within the park varies with water level. The total land area is about 144 acres (58 hectares).
Island
Acres
% of total
Total
144.39
100
Loggerhead Key
64.25
44.49
Garden Key
42
29.09
Bush Key
29.65
20.54
Long Key
2
1.39
Hospital Key
0.99
0.69
Middle Key
1.5
1.04
East Key
4
2.77
An aerial view of Loggerhead KeyLoggerhead Key, 250 by 1,200 m (820 by 3,940 ft) in size, with an area of 26 hectares (64 acres) is the largest. This island has the highest elevation in the Dry Tortugas, at 10 ft (3.0 m). The Dry Tortugas lighthouse, 46 m (151 ft) high, is on this island.
Garden Key, with Fort Jefferson and the inactive Garden Key lighthouse (20 m (66 ft)). It is 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Loggerhead Key. Garden Key is the second largest island in the chain, at 400 by 500 m (1,300 by 1,600 ft) in size, with an area of 17 hectares (42 acres). The original size, before construction of Fort Jefferson, has been estimated at 30,350 to 35,610 m2 (7.50 to 8.80 acres).
Bush Key (background) seen from Garden Key (foreground), with Long Key in the very back rightBush Key, formerly named Hog Island because of the hogs that were raised there to provide fresh meat for the prisoners at Fort Jefferson, just a few meters east of Garden Key. At times, Bush Key is connected to Garden Key by a sand bar. The island is the third largest, 150 by 900 m (490 by 2,950 ft), area 12 hectares (30 acres), less than 1 m (3 ft 3 in) high. Bush Key is the site of a large ternrookery. It is closed to visitors from February to September to protect nesting sooty terns and brown noddys.
Long Key, 59 m (194 ft) south of the eastern end of Bush Key, 50 by 200 m (160 by 660 ft) in size, area of 8,000 m2 (2.0 acres). At times it is connected to Bush Key by a sandbar.
Hospital Key, so called because a hospital for the inmates of Fort Jefferson had been built there in the 1870s. The island was formerly called Middle Key or Sand Key. It lies 2.5 km (1.6 mi) northeast of Garden Key and Bush Key, 70 m (230 ft). Its area is 4,000 m2 (0.99 acres), and it is 1 m (3 ft 3 in) above sea level at its highest point.
Middle Key, 2.5 km (1.6 mi) east of Hospital key, 90 m (300 ft), area 6,000 m2 (1.5 acres). Due to various seasonal changes, storm patterns and tidal cycles it is not always above sea level, disappearing for weeks or months, only to reappear again.
East Key, 2 km (1.2 mi) east of Middle Key, 100 by 200 m (330 by 660 ft), area 1.6 hectares (4.0 acres), over 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high.
The three westernmost keys, which are also the three largest keys (Loggerhead Key, Garden Key, and Bush Key), make up about 93 percent of the total land area of the group.
Former islandsedit
Formerly existing keys were (from west to east):
Southwest Key, disappeared by 1875, today a shoal south off of Loggerhead Reef.
Bird Key (formerly Booby Key), was about 1.5 km (0.93 mi) southwest of Garden Key, disappeared in 1935. Current names in the area are Bird Key Bank and Bird Key Harbor. The Key was the site of numerous Union soldiers' graves during the Civil War.[14]: 88
North Key, probably identical with former Booby Island, current name in the area is North Key Harbor, an anchorage WSW of Pulaski Shoal, disappeared by 1875.
Northeast Key (earlier called Sand Key), was between East Key and North Key, slightly to the North, disappeared by 1875.
Iowa Rock, halfway between Garden Key and Hospital Key, is another site of a navigational light (and weather station) built in shallow water. It was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo, with three bare stumps left.[citation needed]
Geologyedit
The Dry Tortugas are the western extension of an arcuate chain of Pleistocene reef and oolitic limestone islands, with the eastern limit in the vicinity of Miami. These Florida Keys are the surface expression of the 3.7 mi (6.0 km) thick southern Florida carbonate platform, which has been accumulating sediments since the Early Cretaceous. Two stratigraphic units are exposed at the surface, the Key Largo Limestone and the Miami Limestone. The Key Largo Limestone are reefs up to 200 ft (61 m) thick, parallel to the shelf edge, consisting of hermatypic corals and calcarenites. The Miami Limestone is less than 49 ft (15 m) thick, and in general, is found behind the Key Largo Limestone reef, but overlies it in the western extent of the keys. It consists of a bryozoanfacies and an oolitic facies and represents a subtidalshoal. Additionally, excellent examples of Holocene carbonate-sand deposits are found in the Dry Tortugas, consisting mainly of disarticulated Halimeda plates. Between the Dry Tortugas and Key West is a 39 ft (12 m) thick example of these sand deposits, known as "the quicksands".[15]
Climateedit
Dry Tortugas has a tropical savanna climate (Aw), with a rainy season coinciding with the Atlantic hurricane season from May to October and a dry season extending from November through April. Despite occasional exposure to tropical systems, the Dry Tortugas is the driest place in Florida with an annual precipitation of about 38 inches (97 cm). There is no large jungle or forest canopy area on the islands, and the sandy soil (which drains quickly) and intense sun only enhance the drought-like conditions often found on the islands. Seasonally there is little temperature variation, with high temperatures in summer around 91 °F (33 °C) and low temperatures in winter around 65 °F (18 °C). Like the rest of the lower keys, there has never been a recorded frost or freeze. The hardiness zone is 12a, with an annual mean minimum temperature of 52 °F (11 °C).
Climate data for Dry Tortugas, Florida (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1950-present)
The first European to see the Dry Tortugas was Juan Ponce de León, who visited on June 21, 1513. Ponce de León caught 160 sea turtles there and subsequently referred to the islands as the "Tortugas" (turtles). They are called Dry owing to the absence of surface fresh water on the island.[18] The name is the second oldest surviving European place-name in the US.[19]
The archipelago includes a high concentration of historically significant shipwrecks dating from the 17th century to the present.[20] In 1742 HMS Tyger wrecked in the Dry Tortugas. The stranded crew lived on Garden Key for 56 days, and fought a battle with a Spanish sloop, before sailing to Jamaica in several boats.[21]
Florida was acquired from Spain by the United States in 1819. The Dry Tortugas were seen as a strategic point for the control of the Straits of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Work on a lighthouse on Garden Key started in 1825. In 1856 work on a new, more powerful lighthouse on Loggerhead Key was started to replace the Garden Key light.[22]
The Dry Tortugas are also rich in maritime history. In 1989 Seahawk Deep Ocean Technology explored a shipwreck believed to be part of the 1622 Spanish treasure fleet. The wreck located in 1,332 ft (406 m) of water, yielded olive jars, copper, gold, silver, glass and other cultural artifacts.[24] On September 6, 1622, the Nuestra Señora de Atocha was driven by a severe hurricane onto a coral reef near the Dry Tortugas, about 35 mi (56 km) west of Key West. Mel Fisher and his company discovered the wreck July 20, 1985. The estimated $450 million cache recovered, known as "The Atocha Motherlode," included 40 tons of gold and silver; there were some 114,000 of the Spanish silver coins known as pieces of eight, gold coins, Colombianemeralds, gold and silver artifacts, and 1,000 silver ingots.[25] In addition to the Atocha, Fisher's company, Salvors Inc., found remains of several nearby shipwrecks, including the Atocha's sister galleon the Santa Margarita, lost in the same year, and the remains of a slave ship known as the Henrietta Marie, lost in 1700.[26]
Fort Jefferson is a massive but unfinished coastal fortress. It is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere,[5][6] and is composed of more than 16 million bricks.
Planning for a fortification began almost immediately after American acquisition, and construction started in 1847. Work was half complete in 1860. This bastion remained in Union hands throughout the Civil War. It later was used as a prison until abandoned in 1874.[22]Dr. Samuel Mudd, famous for being the doctor who treated John Wilkes Booth in the wake of the Lincoln assassination, was imprisoned here for conspiracy with three others until early 1869, when he was pardoned in 1869 after averting a viral outbreak.[27] Also imprisoned was a leader of the "Chicago Conspiracy", Englishman George St. Leger Grenfell, who is supposed to have drowned having escaped in a small boat.
During the 1880s, the Navy established a base in the Dry Tortugas, and it subsequently set up a coaling (refueling) and a wireless (radio) station there as well. During World War I, a seaplane base was established in the islands, but it was abandoned soon thereafter.
From 1903 until 1939 the Carnegie Institution of Washington operated the Marine Biology Laboratory on Loggerhead Key which "...quickly became the best-equipped marine biological station in the tropical world."[28] Through the years, over 150 researchers used the facilities to perform a wide range of research.[29] In June 1911 the laboratory built a vessel in Miami, Anton Dohrn, for use by researchers as well as logistics between the station and Key West.[30] The vessel, excepting a period of World War I service with the Navy, supported the laboratory's work until closure in 1939 and donation of Anton Dohrn to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.[31]
An account of a visit to the fort at the Dry Tortugas by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Justice-to-be Robert H. Jackson can be found in Jackson's book That Man: An Insider's Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Park historyedit
Comprising 47,125 acres (73.6 sq mi; 190.7 km2), Fort Jefferson National Monument was designated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt under the Antiquities Act on January 4, 1935. The monument was expanded in 1983 and redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park on October 26, 1992, by an act of Congress.[32][33] Dry Tortugas is managed by the staff of Everglades National Park.[34] The park was established to protect the island and marine ecosystems of the Dry Tortugas, to preserve Fort Jefferson and submerged cultural resources such as shipwrecks, and to allow for public access in a regulated manner.[20]
During the United States federal government shutdowns of 1995–1996, Dry Tortugas was closed along with all other national parks. Seeing this as having a damaging effect on their tourism-dependent economy, the residents of Key West, Florida, raised money to keep Dry Tortugas open. The effort was inspired by the Smithsonian Institution, which raised private donations to keep its museums open during the shutdown.
Failing to find anybody to accept the money to reopen the park, Key West residents, under the auspices of the satirical micronationConch Republic, sent a flotilla of civilian boats and fire department boats to Fort Jefferson in order to reopen the national park. When officials attempted to enter the fort, they were cited. The citation was contested in court the following year, and the resultant case, The United States of America v. Peter Anderson, was quickly dropped.
The park is a landing location for immigrants arriving from Cuba in homebuilt boats called "chugs". Receiving and housing the migrants is a particular problem for Dry Tortugas, which has limited resources for such arrivals and which is several hours from the nearest Coast Guard or Border Patrol units. Communications with Key West are accomplished using a satellite-based voice-over-IP system, which is prone to garbling and delays, and by a radio relay system using an abandoned Air Force tower between Key West and the Dry Tortugas.[34]
Visitation steadily rose for several decades, reaching a peak of 83,704 in 2000. Since then visitation has slowly declined, with an average of about 63,000 per year in the period from 2007 to 2016.[3]
Coral and various fish including a striped species known as a sergeant major
The Dry Tortugas archipelago is classified as a borderline subtropical—tropical ecosystem, hosting species that do not normally breed in, and are not commonly found anywhere else within, the continental United States or the islands and waters surrounding it.
When the cold wave of January 1977 wiped out 96 percent of branching coral, once extensive branching coral formations became rubble fields.[38] The Dry Tortugas National Park now consists of patch reef and branching coral rubble.[38][39]
Birdwatching activity peaks each spring (usually April) when dozens of migratory bird species can pass through the park in a single day. Many birds land inside the parade grounds of Fort Jefferson where they are often observed at close range. Common migratory warblers include the northern parula, American redstart, prairie warbler, hooded warbler, palm warbler, black-and-white warbler, common yellowthroat, yellow-rumped warbler, ovenbird, northern waterthrush, black-throated blue warbler, blackpoll warbler, and Cape May warbler, with more than 20 additional warbler species having shown up at least once. Several raptor species are often seen hunting songbirds. Until early 2013 a small freshwater fountain existed beneath several seaside mahoe and buttonwood trees, and was the only freshwater source for many miles. Maintenance issues necessitated its removal, but a replacement water barrel is scheduled for installation in the fall of 2013. Each year several bird guides offer tours of Dry Tortugas National Park during April and early May when daily bird lists can often reach 100 or more species.
Invasive species and eradication effortsedit
An active eradication program has resulted in the removal of invasive Casuarina trees and agave from Loggerhead Key, by cutting and herbicide treatment. Pterois, commonly known as lionfish, have also been found in the park's waters and the National Park Service was reviewing (in 2015) the lionfish management plan to determine what actions to take to manage the spread of this invasive species in Dry Tortugas National Park and Everglades National Park.[42]
Most visitors arrive in Dry Tortugas National Park by either boat or seaplane from Key West. Official ferry and transportation services to the Dry Tortugas include the Yankee Freedom III catamaran, private vessel chartering and seaplane services. Other methods of visiting the Dry Tortugas include chartering of authorized and approved private vessels. There are no road connections to Dry Tortugas, and cars cannot access the islands.[43]
Inside Dry Tortugas National Park the goods and services are limited. Visitors are required to bring the food, water and supplies they might need during their time in the park.[44] The closest restaurants and hotels are located in Key West.[45] However, primitive camping sites are available within Dry Tortugas on Garden Key.[46]
^"Listing of acreage – December 31, 2011" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-03-06. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
^ abc"NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
^ ab"National Park Service Dry Tortugas National Park". National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
^ abHerndon, David (November–December 2001). "Trips: Florida's Dry Tortugas National Park". National Geographic Adventure. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
^"Discover Dry Tortugas National Park & Fort Jefferson in the Florida Keys". Trips To Discover. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
^"Everglades & Dry Tortugas". UNESCO. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
^"Research Natural Area Will Be Effective January 19, 2007". Dry Tortugas National Park. National Park Service. January 18, 2007. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
^Thornberry-Ehrlich, Trista L. (January 31, 2005). "Dry Tortugas National Park Geologic Resource Management Issues – Scoping Summary" (PDF). Colorado State University. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
^Reid, Thomas (2006). America's Fortress. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. ISBN9780813030197.
^Randazzo, Anthony; Halley, Robert (1997). Randazzo, Anthony; Jones, Douglas (eds.). Geology of the Florida Keys, in The Geology of Florida. Gainesville: University of Florida Press. pp. 251–259. ISBN9780813014968.
^Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 109.
^Florida was named earlier, April 2, 1513, by Ponce de León – From Spanish historian Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas's account, published in 1601 – Stewart, George (1945). Names on the Land: A Historical Account of Place-Naming in the United States. New York: Random House. p. 13. ISBN1-59017-273-6.
^ ab"Dry Tortugas National Park: 2000 Annual Report" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
^"The Dry Tortugas and Marquesas Keys – The British Castaways of HMS Tyger". floridakeys.com. Retrieved July 6, 2007.
^Malcom, Corey. . melfisher.org. The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
^Federal Writers' Project (1939), Florida. A Guide to the Southernmost State, New York: Oxford University Press, p. 205
^Trefil, James; Hazen, Margaret (2002). Good Seeing: A Century of Science at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1902-2002. Washington, D.C.: Joseph Henry Press. p. 51. ISBN978-0309082617.
^Snyder, Jennifer; Hargrove, Charles, eds. (December 2004). "Carnegie Institution of Washington Administration Records, 1890–2001" (PDF). Carnegie Institution of Washington Administration Archives.
^Mayer, Alfred G. (1911). "Department of Marine Biology". Carnegie Institution of Washington Year Book No. 10. Washington: Carnegie Institution of Washington. 10: 120–127. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
^"Anton Dohrn, 1940-1947". History of WHOI Ships. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Retrieved 12 July 2015 – via whoi.edu.
^"Dry Tortugas National Park Enabling Legislation". Dry Tortugas National Park. National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
^ ab"Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks: Superintendent's Annual Report Fiscal Year 2010" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
^Hurricane Charley and The Dry Tortugas, Drytortugasinfo.com, July 30, 2013
^Sainz, Adrian (August 17, 2004). "Neal Fredericks, 'Blair Witch' cinematographer, died in crash". The St. Augustine Record. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
^Zelinsky, David; Bucci, Lisa (September 27, 2022). Hurricane Ian Tropical Cyclone Update (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
^ abDi Santo, V; Pomory, CM; Bennett, WA (2009). "Algal Garden Cultivation and Guarding Behavior of Dusky Damselfish on Coral Rubble and Intact Reef in Dry Tortugas National Park". In: Pollock NW, ed. Diving for Science 2009. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences 28th Symposium. Dauphin Island, AL. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-07.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^Roseate Terns recently returned to nest on Bush Key. The small Bridled Tern colony on Long Key began in 2007 with a single pair, and represents the first confirmed breeding of this species within the park. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-03-06. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
^"Final General Management Plan Amendment Environmental Impact Statement" (PDF). Dry Tortugas National Park. National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
^Lionfish - Dry Tortugas National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
^"Directions". Dry Tortugas National Park. National Park Service. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
^"Eating & Sleeping". Dry Tortugas National Park. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
^"Where to stay near Dry Tortugas National Park". Howtobookyourtrip. 28 December 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
^"Camping". Dry Tortugas National Park. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
tortugas, national, park, american, national, park, located, about, miles, west, west, gulf, mexico, united, states, park, preserves, fort, jefferson, several, tortugas, islands, westernmost, most, isolated, florida, keys, archipelago, coral, reefs, least, dis. Dry Tortugas National Park is an American national park located about 68 miles 109 km west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico in the United States The park preserves Fort Jefferson and the several Dry Tortugas islands the westernmost and most isolated of the Florida Keys The archipelago s coral reefs are the least disturbed of the Florida Keys reefs Dry Tortugas National ParkIUCN category II national park 1 Fort Jefferson and Garden KeyInteractive map of the park and its islandsLocationMonroe County Florida United StatesNearest cityKey WestCoordinates24 37 43 N 82 52 24 W 24 628588 N 82 873287 W 24 628588 82 873287Area64 701 acres 261 84 km2 2 EstablishedJanuary 4 1935Visitors56 810 in 2018 3 Governing bodyNational Park ServiceWebsiteDry Tortugas National ParkDry TortugasNational Park Service map of the Dry TortugasGeographyLocationend of the Florida Keys United StatesCoordinates24 38 00 N 82 55 12 W 24 63333 N 82 92000 W 24 63333 82 92000ArchipelagoFlorida KeysAdjacent toGulf of MexicoTotal islands7Major islandsGarden KeyArea10 000 000 acres 4 000 000 ha Highest elevation10 ft 3 m 4 The park is noted for abundant sea life tropical bird breeding grounds colorful coral reefs and shipwrecks and sunken treasures The park s centerpiece is Fort Jefferson a massive but unfinished coastal fortress Fort Jefferson is the largest brick masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere 5 6 composed of more than 16 million bricks Dry Tortugas is unique in its combination of a largely undisturbed tropical ecosystem with significant historic artifacts The park is accessible only by seaplane or boat and has averaged about 63 000 visitors annually in the period from 2008 to 2017 3 Activities include snorkeling picnicking birdwatching camping scuba diving saltwater fishing and kayaking Overnight camping is limited to eight primitive campsites at the Garden Key campground located just south of Fort Jefferson 7 Dry Tortugas National Park is part of the Everglades amp Dry Tortugas Biosphere Reserve established by UNESCO in 1976 under its Man and the Biosphere Programme 8 Contents 1 Geography 1 1 Former islands 1 2 Shoals with lights 2 Geology 3 Climate 4 History 4 1 Fort Jefferson 4 2 Park history 5 Ecology 5 1 Birds 5 2 Invasive species and eradication efforts 6 Visiting 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksGeography editThe Dry Tortugas are a small archipelago of coral islands about 70 miles 110 km west of Key West Florida They represent the westernmost extent of the Florida Keys though several reefs and submarine banks continue westward outside the park beyond the Tortugas The park area is more than 99 percent water The northern and western portions of the park including the central island group were designated a 46 square mile 120 km2 research natural area in 2007 in which no marine life may be taken nor may vessels anchor Vessels wishing to moor in this area must use designated mooring buoys or docks About 54 percent of the park remains open for fishing 9 The park is bordered on the east south and west by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and on the northwest by the Tortugas Ecological Reserve 10 The keys are low and irregular Some have thin growths of mangroves and various other vegetation while the smallest have only small patches of grass or no plant life There are nominally seven islands but there have been up to eleven during the past two centuries The islands are continually changing in size and shape and the number of distinct landmasses varies as changing water levels expose and cover the lower islands and sandy land bridges between some of the islands 11 12 Some of the smaller islands have disappeared and reappeared multiple times as a result of hurricane impact The major islands within the park are roughly from west to east Loggerhead Key Garden Key Bush Key Long Key Hospital Key Middle Key and East Key 13 The total land area within the park varies with water level The total land area is about 144 acres 58 hectares Island Acres of totalTotal 144 39 100Loggerhead Key 64 25 44 49Garden Key 42 29 09Bush Key 29 65 20 54Long Key 2 1 39Hospital Key 0 99 0 69Middle Key 1 5 1 04East Key 4 2 77 nbsp An aerial view of Loggerhead KeyLoggerhead Key 250 by 1 200 m 820 by 3 940 ft in size with an area of 26 hectares 64 acres is the largest This island has the highest elevation in the Dry Tortugas at 10 ft 3 0 m The Dry Tortugas lighthouse 46 m 151 ft high is on this island Garden Key with Fort Jefferson and the inactive Garden Key lighthouse 20 m 66 ft It is 4 km 2 5 mi east of Loggerhead Key Garden Key is the second largest island in the chain at 400 by 500 m 1 300 by 1 600 ft in size with an area of 17 hectares 42 acres The original size before construction of Fort Jefferson has been estimated at 30 350 to 35 610 m2 7 50 to 8 80 acres nbsp Bush Key background seen from Garden Key foreground with Long Key in the very back rightBush Key formerly named Hog Island because of the hogs that were raised there to provide fresh meat for the prisoners at Fort Jefferson just a few meters east of Garden Key At times Bush Key is connected to Garden Key by a sand bar The island is the third largest 150 by 900 m 490 by 2 950 ft area 12 hectares 30 acres less than 1 m 3 ft 3 in high Bush Key is the site of a large tern rookery It is closed to visitors from February to September to protect nesting sooty terns and brown noddys Long Key 59 m 194 ft south of the eastern end of Bush Key 50 by 200 m 160 by 660 ft in size area of 8 000 m2 2 0 acres At times it is connected to Bush Key by a sandbar Hospital Key so called because a hospital for the inmates of Fort Jefferson had been built there in the 1870s The island was formerly called Middle Key or Sand Key It lies 2 5 km 1 6 mi northeast of Garden Key and Bush Key 70 m 230 ft Its area is 4 000 m2 0 99 acres and it is 1 m 3 ft 3 in above sea level at its highest point Middle Key 2 5 km 1 6 mi east of Hospital key 90 m 300 ft area 6 000 m2 1 5 acres Due to various seasonal changes storm patterns and tidal cycles it is not always above sea level disappearing for weeks or months only to reappear again East Key 2 km 1 2 mi east of Middle Key 100 by 200 m 330 by 660 ft area 1 6 hectares 4 0 acres over 2 m 6 ft 7 in high The three westernmost keys which are also the three largest keys Loggerhead Key Garden Key and Bush Key make up about 93 percent of the total land area of the group Former islands edit Formerly existing keys were from west to east Southwest Key disappeared by 1875 today a shoal south off of Loggerhead Reef Bird Key formerly Booby Key was about 1 5 km 0 93 mi southwest of Garden Key disappeared in 1935 Current names in the area are Bird Key Bank and Bird Key Harbor The Key was the site of numerous Union soldiers graves during the Civil War 14 88 North Key probably identical with former Booby Island current name in the area is North Key Harbor an anchorage WSW of Pulaski Shoal disappeared by 1875 Northeast Key earlier called Sand Key was between East Key and North Key slightly to the North disappeared by 1875 Shoals with lights edit Pulaski Shoal Pulaski Reef marking the northeast edge of the group at 24 41 36 N 82 46 24 W 24 69333 N 82 77333 W 24 69333 82 77333 is not an island but the former location of the Pulaski Shoal Light Iowa Rock halfway between Garden Key and Hospital Key is another site of a navigational light and weather station built in shallow water It was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo with three bare stumps left citation needed Geology editThe Dry Tortugas are the western extension of an arcuate chain of Pleistocene reef and oolitic limestone islands with the eastern limit in the vicinity of Miami These Florida Keys are the surface expression of the 3 7 mi 6 0 km thick southern Florida carbonate platform which has been accumulating sediments since the Early Cretaceous Two stratigraphic units are exposed at the surface the Key Largo Limestone and the Miami Limestone The Key Largo Limestone are reefs up to 200 ft 61 m thick parallel to the shelf edge consisting of hermatypic corals and calcarenites The Miami Limestone is less than 49 ft 15 m thick and in general is found behind the Key Largo Limestone reef but overlies it in the western extent of the keys It consists of a bryozoan facies and an oolitic facies and represents a subtidal shoal Additionally excellent examples of Holocene carbonate sand deposits are found in the Dry Tortugas consisting mainly of disarticulated Halimeda plates Between the Dry Tortugas and Key West is a 39 ft 12 m thick example of these sand deposits known as the quicksands 15 Climate editDry Tortugas has a tropical savanna climate Aw with a rainy season coinciding with the Atlantic hurricane season from May to October and a dry season extending from November through April Despite occasional exposure to tropical systems the Dry Tortugas is the driest place in Florida with an annual precipitation of about 38 inches 97 cm There is no large jungle or forest canopy area on the islands and the sandy soil which drains quickly and intense sun only enhance the drought like conditions often found on the islands Seasonally there is little temperature variation with high temperatures in summer around 91 F 33 C and low temperatures in winter around 65 F 18 C Like the rest of the lower keys there has never been a recorded frost or freeze The hardiness zone is 12a with an annual mean minimum temperature of 52 F 11 C Climate data for Dry Tortugas Florida 1991 2020 normals extremes 1950 present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 89 32 92 33 93 34 94 34 96 36 99 37 98 37 101 38 98 37 95 35 90 32 88 31 101 38 Average high F C 73 9 23 3 75 5 24 2 78 7 25 9 82 7 28 2 86 0 30 0 89 2 31 8 91 0 32 8 91 4 33 0 88 9 31 6 85 0 29 4 79 4 26 3 75 7 24 3 83 1 28 4 Daily mean F C 69 3 20 7 70 5 21 4 73 1 22 8 76 9 24 9 80 3 26 8 83 3 28 5 84 4 29 1 85 2 29 6 83 4 28 6 80 4 26 9 74 9 23 8 71 2 21 8 77 7 25 4 Average low F C 64 7 18 2 65 5 18 6 67 5 19 7 71 1 21 7 74 5 23 6 77 4 25 2 77 9 25 5 79 0 26 1 77 9 25 5 75 8 24 3 70 5 21 4 66 6 19 2 72 4 22 4 Record low F C 46 8 40 4 47 8 56 13 55 13 64 18 64 18 65 18 66 19 59 15 51 11 48 9 40 4 Average precipitation inches mm 2 35 60 1 69 43 2 07 53 2 60 66 2 02 51 4 26 108 2 19 56 4 31 109 7 18 182 4 72 120 1 88 48 2 36 60 37 63 956 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 6 9 5 7 4 1 4 2 4 5 7 4 8 7 10 4 11 9 9 8 4 3 6 1 84 0Source NOAA 16 17 History editThe first European to see the Dry Tortugas was Juan Ponce de Leon who visited on June 21 1513 Ponce de Leon caught 160 sea turtles there and subsequently referred to the islands as the Tortugas turtles They are called Dry owing to the absence of surface fresh water on the island 18 The name is the second oldest surviving European place name in the US 19 The archipelago includes a high concentration of historically significant shipwrecks dating from the 17th century to the present 20 In 1742 HMS Tyger wrecked in the Dry Tortugas The stranded crew lived on Garden Key for 56 days and fought a battle with a Spanish sloop before sailing to Jamaica in several boats 21 Florida was acquired from Spain by the United States in 1819 The Dry Tortugas were seen as a strategic point for the control of the Straits of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico Work on a lighthouse on Garden Key started in 1825 In 1856 work on a new more powerful lighthouse on Loggerhead Key was started to replace the Garden Key light 22 John James Audubon visited the Tortugas in 1832 and so did Louis Agassiz in 1858 23 25 The Dry Tortugas are also rich in maritime history In 1989 Seahawk Deep Ocean Technology explored a shipwreck believed to be part of the 1622 Spanish treasure fleet The wreck located in 1 332 ft 406 m of water yielded olive jars copper gold silver glass and other cultural artifacts 24 On September 6 1622 the Nuestra Senora de Atocha was driven by a severe hurricane onto a coral reef near the Dry Tortugas about 35 mi 56 km west of Key West Mel Fisher and his company discovered the wreck July 20 1985 The estimated 450 million cache recovered known as The Atocha Motherlode included 40 tons of gold and silver there were some 114 000 of the Spanish silver coins known as pieces of eight gold coins Colombian emeralds gold and silver artifacts and 1 000 silver ingots 25 In addition to the Atocha Fisher s company Salvors Inc found remains of several nearby shipwrecks including the Atocha s sister galleon the Santa Margarita lost in the same year and the remains of a slave ship known as the Henrietta Marie lost in 1700 26 Fort Jefferson edit Main article Fort Jefferson Florida nbsp Brick archway in Fort JeffersonFort Jefferson is a massive but unfinished coastal fortress It is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere 5 6 and is composed of more than 16 million bricks Planning for a fortification began almost immediately after American acquisition and construction started in 1847 Work was half complete in 1860 This bastion remained in Union hands throughout the Civil War It later was used as a prison until abandoned in 1874 22 Dr Samuel Mudd famous for being the doctor who treated John Wilkes Booth in the wake of the Lincoln assassination was imprisoned here for conspiracy with three others until early 1869 when he was pardoned in 1869 after averting a viral outbreak 27 Also imprisoned was a leader of the Chicago Conspiracy Englishman George St Leger Grenfell who is supposed to have drowned having escaped in a small boat During the 1880s the Navy established a base in the Dry Tortugas and it subsequently set up a coaling refueling and a wireless radio station there as well During World War I a seaplane base was established in the islands but it was abandoned soon thereafter From 1903 until 1939 the Carnegie Institution of Washington operated the Marine Biology Laboratory on Loggerhead Key which quickly became the best equipped marine biological station in the tropical world 28 Through the years over 150 researchers used the facilities to perform a wide range of research 29 In June 1911 the laboratory built a vessel in Miami Anton Dohrn for use by researchers as well as logistics between the station and Key West 30 The vessel excepting a period of World War I service with the Navy supported the laboratory s work until closure in 1939 and donation of Anton Dohrn to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 31 An account of a visit to the fort at the Dry Tortugas by President Franklin D Roosevelt and Justice to be Robert H Jackson can be found in Jackson s book That Man An Insider s Portrait of Franklin D Roosevelt Park history edit Comprising 47 125 acres 73 6 sq mi 190 7 km2 Fort Jefferson National Monument was designated by President Franklin D Roosevelt under the Antiquities Act on January 4 1935 The monument was expanded in 1983 and redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park on October 26 1992 by an act of Congress 32 33 Dry Tortugas is managed by the staff of Everglades National Park 34 The park was established to protect the island and marine ecosystems of the Dry Tortugas to preserve Fort Jefferson and submerged cultural resources such as shipwrecks and to allow for public access in a regulated manner 20 During the United States federal government shutdowns of 1995 1996 Dry Tortugas was closed along with all other national parks Seeing this as having a damaging effect on their tourism dependent economy the residents of Key West Florida raised money to keep Dry Tortugas open The effort was inspired by the Smithsonian Institution which raised private donations to keep its museums open during the shutdown Failing to find anybody to accept the money to reopen the park Key West residents under the auspices of the satirical micronation Conch Republic sent a flotilla of civilian boats and fire department boats to Fort Jefferson in order to reopen the national park When officials attempted to enter the fort they were cited The citation was contested in court the following year and the resultant case The United States of America v Peter Anderson was quickly dropped The park is a landing location for immigrants arriving from Cuba in homebuilt boats called chugs Receiving and housing the migrants is a particular problem for Dry Tortugas which has limited resources for such arrivals and which is several hours from the nearest Coast Guard or Border Patrol units Communications with Key West are accomplished using a satellite based voice over IP system which is prone to garbling and delays and by a radio relay system using an abandoned Air Force tower between Key West and the Dry Tortugas 34 Visitation steadily rose for several decades reaching a peak of 83 704 in 2000 Since then visitation has slowly declined with an average of about 63 000 per year in the period from 2007 to 2016 3 In August 2004 the Dry Tortugas were directly struck by Hurricane Charley 35 The following day a Cessna airplane crashed into the water near the islands killing cinematographer Neal Fredericks while he was filming scenery for the feature film CrossBones 36 In September 2022 the islands were again directly struck by Hurricane Ian 37 Ecology edit nbsp Coral and various fish including a striped species known as a sergeant majorThe Dry Tortugas archipelago is classified as a borderline subtropical tropical ecosystem hosting species that do not normally breed in and are not commonly found anywhere else within the continental United States or the islands and waters surrounding it When the cold wave of January 1977 wiped out 96 percent of branching coral once extensive branching coral formations became rubble fields 38 The Dry Tortugas National Park now consists of patch reef and branching coral rubble 38 39 Birds edit Main article List of birds of Dry Tortugas National Park Dry Tortugas National Park has an official bird list of 299 species Of these only eight species frequently nest within the park sooty tern brown noddy brown pelican magnificent frigatebird masked booby roseate tern bridled tern and mourning dove 40 The park features the only nesting colonies of sooty tern brown noddy magnificent frigatebird and masked booby in the contiguous United States 41 Birdwatching activity peaks each spring usually April when dozens of migratory bird species can pass through the park in a single day Many birds land inside the parade grounds of Fort Jefferson where they are often observed at close range Common migratory warblers include the northern parula American redstart prairie warbler hooded warbler palm warbler black and white warbler common yellowthroat yellow rumped warbler ovenbird northern waterthrush black throated blue warbler blackpoll warbler and Cape May warbler with more than 20 additional warbler species having shown up at least once Several raptor species are often seen hunting songbirds Until early 2013 a small freshwater fountain existed beneath several seaside mahoe and buttonwood trees and was the only freshwater source for many miles Maintenance issues necessitated its removal but a replacement water barrel is scheduled for installation in the fall of 2013 Each year several bird guides offer tours of Dry Tortugas National Park during April and early May when daily bird lists can often reach 100 or more species Invasive species and eradication efforts edit An active eradication program has resulted in the removal of invasive Casuarina trees and agave from Loggerhead Key by cutting and herbicide treatment Pterois commonly known as lionfish have also been found in the park s waters and the National Park Service was reviewing in 2015 the lionfish management plan to determine what actions to take to manage the spread of this invasive species in Dry Tortugas National Park and Everglades National Park 42 Visiting edit nbsp See also Dry Tortugas Ferry to Fort Jefferson Most visitors arrive in Dry Tortugas National Park by either boat or seaplane from Key West Official ferry and transportation services to the Dry Tortugas include the Yankee Freedom III catamaran private vessel chartering and seaplane services Other methods of visiting the Dry Tortugas include chartering of authorized and approved private vessels There are no road connections to Dry Tortugas and cars cannot access the islands 43 Inside Dry Tortugas National Park the goods and services are limited Visitors are required to bring the food water and supplies they might need during their time in the park 44 The closest restaurants and hotels are located in Key West 45 However primitive camping sites are available within Dry Tortugas on Garden Key 46 See also editList of national parks of the United States Florida Keys National Marine SanctuaryReferences edit Protected Planet Dry Tortugas National Park Protected Planet Retrieved 2020 10 20 Listing of acreage December 31 2011 XLSX Land Resource Division National Park Service Retrieved 2012 03 06 National Park Service Acreage Reports a b c NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report National Park Service Retrieved 2019 03 06 Loggerhead Key High Point Peakbagger com a b National Park Service Dry Tortugas National Park National Park Service Retrieved 2012 12 09 a b Herndon David November December 2001 Trips Florida s Dry Tortugas National Park National Geographic Adventure Retrieved 2012 08 26 Discover Dry Tortugas National Park amp Fort Jefferson in the Florida Keys Trips To Discover Retrieved 18 July 2020 Everglades amp Dry Tortugas UNESCO Retrieved 19 June 2016 Research Natural Area Will Be Effective January 19 2007 Dry Tortugas National Park National Park Service January 18 2007 Retrieved 2012 11 24 Dry Tortugas National Park Map Map National Park Service Homestead Mailing Address 40001 SR 9336 Us FL 33034 Phone 305 242 7700 Contact Geology Dry Tortugas National Park U S National Park Service www nps gov Retrieved 2023 05 27 The Keys Keep Changing www nps gov Retrieved 2023 05 27 Thornberry Ehrlich Trista L January 31 2005 Dry Tortugas National Park Geologic Resource Management Issues Scoping Summary PDF Colorado State University Retrieved 2012 11 24 Reid Thomas 2006 America s Fortress Gainesville Florida University Press of Florida ISBN 9780813030197 Randazzo Anthony Halley Robert 1997 Randazzo Anthony Jones Douglas eds Geology of the Florida Keys in The Geology of Florida Gainesville University of Florida Press pp 251 259 ISBN 9780813014968 NOWData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved May 9 2021 Summary of Monthly Normals 1991 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved May 9 2021 Gannett Henry 1905 The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States Govt Print Off pp 109 Florida was named earlier April 2 1513 by Ponce de Leon From Spanish historian Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas s account published in 1601 Stewart George 1945 Names on the Land A Historical Account of Place Naming in the United States New York Random House p 13 ISBN 1 59017 273 6 a b Dry Tortugas National Park 2000 Annual Report PDF National Park Service Retrieved 2012 11 24 The Dry Tortugas and Marquesas Keys The British Castaways of HMS Tyger floridakeys com Retrieved July 6 2007 a b Places Dry Tortugas National Park National Park Service Retrieved 2012 11 30 Reid Thomas 2006 America s Fortress Gainesville Florida University Press of Florida ISBN 9780813030197 Soreide Fredrik 28 April 2011 Ships from the Depths Deepwater Archaeology ISBN 9781603442183 Retrieved 19 July 2015 Mel Fisher s Treasures www melfisher com Malcom Corey The Henrietta Marie an English merchant slave ship melfisher org The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Archived from the original on 29 March 2014 Retrieved 19 July 2015 Federal Writers Project 1939 Florida A Guide to the Southernmost State New York Oxford University Press p 205 Trefil James Hazen Margaret 2002 Good Seeing A Century of Science at the Carnegie Institution of Washington 1902 2002 Washington D C Joseph Henry Press p 51 ISBN 978 0309082617 Snyder Jennifer Hargrove Charles eds December 2004 Carnegie Institution of Washington Administration Records 1890 2001 PDF Carnegie Institution of Washington Administration Archives Mayer Alfred G 1911 Department of Marine Biology Carnegie Institution of Washington Year Book No 10 Washington Carnegie Institution of Washington 10 120 127 Retrieved 16 July 2015 Anton Dohrn 1940 1947 History of WHOI Ships Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Retrieved 12 July 2015 via whoi edu Dry Tortugas National Park Enabling Legislation Dry Tortugas National Park National Park Service Retrieved 2012 11 24 Antiquities Act 1906 2006 National Park Service Retrieved 2012 11 23 a b Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks Superintendent s Annual Report Fiscal Year 2010 PDF National Park Service Retrieved 2012 11 23 Hurricane Charley and The Dry Tortugas Drytortugasinfo com July 30 2013 Sainz Adrian August 17 2004 Neal Fredericks Blair Witch cinematographer died in crash The St Augustine Record Retrieved 19 July 2015 Zelinsky David Bucci Lisa September 27 2022 Hurricane Ian Tropical Cyclone Update Report Miami Florida National Hurricane Center Retrieved September 27 2022 a b Di Santo V Pomory CM Bennett WA 2009 Algal Garden Cultivation and Guarding Behavior of Dusky Damselfish on Coral Rubble and Intact Reef in Dry Tortugas National Park In Pollock NW ed Diving for Science 2009 Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences 28th Symposium Dauphin Island AL Archived from the original on June 20 2013 Retrieved 2013 06 07 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint unfit URL link Muslic A et al 2013 Linear Extension Rates of Massive Corals from the Dry Tortugas National Park DRTO Florida Reston Va U S Department of the Interior U S Geological Survey Roseate Terns recently returned to nest on Bush Key The small Bridled Tern colony on Long Key began in 2007 with a single pair and represents the first confirmed breeding of this species within the park Bird List Dry Tortugas National Park PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2015 03 06 Retrieved 2013 06 18 Final General Management Plan Amendment Environmental Impact Statement PDF Dry Tortugas National Park National Park Service Retrieved 2012 11 24 Lionfish Dry Tortugas National Park U S National Park Service Directions Dry Tortugas National Park National Park Service Retrieved 21 May 2022 Eating amp Sleeping Dry Tortugas National Park Retrieved 21 May 2022 Where to stay near Dry Tortugas National Park Howtobookyourtrip 28 December 2021 Retrieved 21 May 2022 Camping Dry Tortugas National Park Retrieved 21 May 2022 External links editDry Tortugas National Park at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Media from Commons nbsp Travel information from Wikivoyage Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dry Tortugas National Park amp oldid 1182727543, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
