CHAPTER ONE DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK Far out at sea one of the most remote national parks in the United States features stunning views crystal blue water seven small islands and pristine coral reefs and seagrass beds The only way to get to Dry Tortugas National Park is by boat or seaplane Dry Tortugas National Park is in the Gulf of Mexico 70 miles 113 kilometers southwest of Florida Most of the park is under water The islands also called keys within the Dry Tortugas are the southernmost islands in the Florida Keys
FLORIDA Dry Tortugas Florida Keys Dry Tortugas National Park is larger than Washington D C The ocean is up to 82 feet 25 meters deep within the park boundaries What Is a Key A key is a low island formed on top of an ancient coral reef It is sometimes spelled cay or caye Fort Jefferson was built on Garden Key between 1846 and 1875 Today it serves as a historical site and visitor center
LA FLORIDA Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León discovered the islands in 1513 At the time sea turtles were abundant on the beaches and the surrounding sea
He named it Las Tortugas which is Spanish for the turtles Later mariners renamed it Dry Tortugas on nautical maps That told sailors in search of drinking water that there was no fresh water on the islands Juan Ponce de León 1460 July 1521
