Garden Key Shelling

Pin shell on Garden Key Beach in the Dry Tortugas at Fort Jefferson

 

 

 

 

 

We were surprised to spot this pin shell on the beach at Fort Jefferson. Pin shells are something we often see when snorkeling in St Joe Bay in the Panhandle of Florida.

Pin shells obviously live around here also.

 

 

 

 

Pin shell on Garden Key Beach in the Dry Tortugas at Fort Jefferson

 

 

 

 

This is the way we see live pin shells when snorkeling in St Joe Bay in the Florida Panhandle. They grow in this position filtering micro-organisms out of the water as currents bring food to them. When they are alive they are covered with moss, algae and other marine growth and have a greenish purple tint to them.

Coral, sponge, pin shell palm seed and other items on Garden Key Beach at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas

 

 

 

This picture shows a cowry shell (orange shell that looks like a pair of lips), a pin shell (the long orange shell), a piece of coral (the white rope thing), sponge (brown object in the center/bottom), a palm tree nut (brown object that looks like a small egg) and part of an old sea fan (the purple grassy looking object to the right).

 

 

Shells and other sea life collected on Garden Key at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas

 

 

 

Joyce took this picture at an exhibit in Fort Jefferson. It showcases many of the items that can be found when shelling on Garden Key at Fort Jefferson.

Since Garden Key and Fort Jefferson are located in the Dry Tortugas 70-miles west of Key West the only way to get here is by boat or sea plane.

We opted for the "boat" option and took the Yankee Freedom II ferry from Key West to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas.

The 70-mile ride each way on the Yankee Freedom II is a special treat itself.

It takes you past other islands in the Florida Keys chain of islands. However, these islands are not connected to the mainland by bridge. Once you leave Key West Harbor on the Yankee Freedom II you are heading into an area only accessible by boat or sea plane. Thirty miles from Key West the Yankee Freedom II takes you past the Marquesas Keys and thousands of lobster trap buoys and the boats working these lobster traps.

The Yankee Freedom II is the ferry service that transports visitors to Dry Tortugas National Park every day.

Live conch in shallow water near shore on Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas at Fort Jefferson

 

 

 

 

The harsh glare in this picture is because Joyce took this picture of a conch that was in several feet of water. Yes the water is clear and it doesn't really look like this conch is under water but it is.

 

Live hermit crab in shallow coral littered water on Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas at Fort Jefferson

 

 

 

 

 

Like the conch above this hermit crab is in the water. The glare is not as bad and the water is really clear. Notice all the coral and shell debris. This is the material that makes up much of the beach on Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas.