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The national park service has informational signs about even the smallest plants, but most of their energy is concentrated on the birds
Between March and September as some 100,000 sooty terns gather on Bush Key for their nesting season. They perform nocturnal maneuvers above the Dry Tortugas but spent their days at sea. When they do land here in February, egg-laying starts immediately. Bush Key is closed to landings during tern nesting season, but the rookery is readily witnessed from the fort with binoculars. Interspersed among the sooties' rookery are 2,500 breeding brown noddies. Unlike sooties and most other terns, noddies nest in vegetation, such as bay cedar and sea lavender. Magnificent frigate birds that soar with seven foot wingspans pray on tern hatchlings in nature's endless give and take. Visitors often see masked and brown boobies, roseate terns, double-crested cormorants, and brown pelicans, a species recently de listed as endangered.
In season, a continuous succession of songbirds and other migrants flies over or rests at the Dry Tortugas. During April and early May, the Audobon Society sponsors guided birding trips.
Written Jul 16, 2011
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Most of the ferries have a guided tour for their visitors. We listened in on one of these tours one morning when we were there. There are also intermittent ranger-led tours and also wildlife and bird tours led by the rangers. Check at the visitor center for more information.
But there is also a self-guiding trail that interprets the history of human presence in the Dry Tortugas while leading visitors through the fort. So even if you aren't there when there is a ranger led tour, you can still enjoy a tour of the fort.
Go to the visitor's center, and then start at sign one which says "Lets Walk"
Updated Jul 16, 2011
Website: http://www.dry.tortugas.national-park.com/cal.htm#vc
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It is always fun to meet the locals and your fellow travelers. Here are: Angela and Brooke part of the crew of the Fast Cat (and some guy in a VT Hat); Tony; Ranger Kelly; Shannon a volunteer at the park; and Nathalie a Russian girl working in New York and Aleks her Azeri friend and coworker.
Written May 6, 2010
Address: P. O. Box 6208, Key West, FL 33041
Phone: (305) 242-7700
Website: www.nps.gov/drto
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They built a lighthouse on top of the fort, unfortunately it was too short and not bright enough so it was never really used for the intended purpose. A taller, brighter lighthouse was later built on nearby Loggerhead Key.
Written May 6, 2010
Address: P. O. Box 6208, Key West, FL 33041
Phone: (305) 242-7700
Website: www.nps.gov/drto
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This is the dungeon where the prisoners were held. Dr. Mudd was held here to but he had his own cell. There is still a lot of debate as to whether Mudd was a willing co-conspirator to the assassination of President Lincoln or was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. While he was here he worked again as a doctor and was very helpful during a number of medical emergencies.
Written May 6, 2010
Address: P. O. Box 6208, Key West, FL 33041
Phone: (305) 242-7700
Website: www.nps.gov/drto
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Here are some of the cannons used on the fort. The first one is called a Parrot Rifle. It is grooved inside the barrel to add power, range and accuracy to the shell. These are the type of guns that made this type of fort obsolete. The next two photos are of 15-inch Rodman Guns.
Written May 6, 2010
Address: P. O. Box 6208, Key West, FL 33041
Phone: (305) 242-7700
Website: www.nps.gov/drto
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This building was used to heat the cannonballs. This was a new concept of warfare. When the cannonballs were heated enough they would not only damage the ship they hit but would set them afire. This began the end of the wooden ships. If you study any of the history of warfare, you will see this time and again; how some piece of technology will render some form of warfare obsolete. Military technology is not just about warfare, however, many useful innovations in everyday life occured because of military technology.
Written May 6, 2010
Address: P. O. Box 6208, Key West, FL 33041
Phone: (305) 242-7700
Website: www.nps.gov/drto
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Here is a memorial for Brevet Major Joseph Sim Smith and his son both of whom died at Fort Jefferson in 1867 of Yellow Fever. The son was only 3. Smith was the post surgeon so his loss was a major blow to the fort. The adverse impact was greatly lessened though because the prisoner Dr. Mudd stepped up and ably took over the duties.
Written May 6, 2010
Address: P. O. Box 6208, Key West, FL 33041
Phone: (305) 242-7700
Website: www.nps.gov/drto
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This is where the officer’s quarters and the commander’s quarters were. This is also where the rangers and the volunteers live. The rangers and the volunteers live on site for up to a month at a time due to the remoteness of the location.
Written May 6, 2010
Address: P. O. Box 6208, Key West, FL 33041
Phone: (305) 242-7700
Website: www.nps.gov/drto
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This is where the barrcaks for the soldiers used to be. The barracks were never actually finished and most of them lived in rooms inside the walls of the fort. They preferred these rooms anyway because the air circulation and the view was better.
Written May 6, 2010
Address: P. O. Box 6208, Key West, FL 33041
Phone: (305) 242-7700
Website: www.nps.gov/drto
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Build your own Dry Tortugas National Park page
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