Fort Jefferson Beach

View from the beach at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas

 

 

 

 

Joyce took this beach scene on Garden Key while visiting Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. The water is as clear as the water in a drinking glass.

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.

Beach on Garden Key at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas

 

 

The beach on Garden Key at Fort Jefferson is littered with broken coral and shells.

Exterior wall of moat around Fort Jefferson on Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas

 

 

 

This is the moat wall that protects Fort Jefferson from large waves during bad storms and hurricanes.

Fort Jefferson on Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas

 

 

 

 

This is the entrance to Fort Jefferson. That walkway across the moat is the only walkway across the moat.

Fort Jefferson is the largest brick fort in America. It was constructed in the mid-1800's to protect a strategic deep water harbor on an important shipping lane.

More than 16-million bricks were used in the construction of Fort Jefferson.

Fort Jefferson is now part of and preserved by Dry Tortugas National Park.

Pin shell and part of an old sponge on the beach at Fort Jefferson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This pin shell and old sponge are just some of the interesting things found on the beach at Fort Jefferson on Garden Key.

 

 

 

Broken coral pieces with a few shells scattered throughout

 

 

 

 

 

I think this picture would make a good puzzle with about 1,000 pieces. What do you think?

The entire beach at Fort Jefferson, is littered with tiny pieces of coral and shell just like this.