A quick note: my family and I took this trip just before the National Park Service closed the park to visitors on January 2nd, 2023.

The sun was still below the horizon when my dad’s alarm went off. Despite waking up earlier than usual, I wasn’t the least bit tired. I was ready for yet another exciting adventure – this time to Dry Tortugas.

I quickly pulled on the clothes I had prepared the night before and urged my sisters to do the same. At the break of dawn, we grabbed our bags, locked up, and drove to the ferry port. Inside the terminal one of our hosts, a guy named Hollywood, was already giving a speech about pretty much everything we should know for our trip to Dry Tortugas.

Finally, we followed a line of people out the exit doors, across the wooden walkway, and up the short gangway to board the 110-foot long catamaran – the Yankee Freedom.

According to Hollywood, we were all very lucky because it was the nicest day with the nicest weather he had seen all month. And the length between the crest and the trough of the waves on the sea was only about 1-3 feet, rather than 7-10, so hopefully there wouldn’t be as many seasick people during our voyage. He did note that the ferry did carry Dramamine, a seasickness medication, and that the stern of the lower deck was best for motion-sick prone people.

My family headed up to the indoor cabin on the second deck to choose our seats. I thought of bringing a book or a notepad or something to keep me busy during the two hours there and back on the ferry, but simply staring out the windows at the teal-turquoise waters of the Caribbean kept me occupied – that and taking trips up, down, and around the Yankee Freedom for various reasons.

I was quite surprised at the fact that there were complimentary (meaning free!) fresh-baked bagels with cream cheese (or jam, if you preferred that) for everyone aboard the ferry. The crew also supplied everyone with a lunch of sandwiches, with the option for them to be made regular, gluten free, or vegetarian depending on people’s preferences. I had imagined the Yankee Freedom to be similar to the ferry we had taken a few years ago when we went on vacation to Bintan, a tropical island in Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago. Although the ferry to Bintan was very nice, it didn’t have anywhere as many perks as the Yankee Freedom. Maybe someday I’ll do a blog post on that vacation. Hmmm….

About two hours later the ferry docked and we took foot on the isolated, far-from-civilization Garden Key, part of Dry Tortugas, home to the historic Fort Jefferson. (Dry Tortugas is made up of seven small islands called keys; the word “keys” is derived from the Spanish word Cayo, which means “small island.”)

Back in the 1800s, Dry Tortugas was used as a prison. The island was initially called Las Tortugas, meaning “The Turtles” in Spanish, because of the abundance of sea turtles living in the island’s surrounding waters; but when explorers and merchants learned that the island lacked fresh drinking water they changed the name to Dry Tortugas. As I learnt from Hollywood’s speech inside Fort Jefferson, quite a few merchants and explorers visited Dry Tortugas to feast on – wait for it – sea turtles. Apparently, the turtles were a great source of meat and a good take away meal for the travelers back then. I heard that the sea turtles were usually collected and laid out on the decks of ships; the explorers and such could keep them from spoiling for quite some time by merely splashing seawater on them. Due to all the feasting on turtles that happened back in the day, the sea turtle population around Dry Tortugas was nearly wiped out. Nowadays, the sea turtles around Dry Tortugas are protected by the National Park Service.

My family and I skipped the included 45-minute tour of Fort Jefferson and toured it on our own. After we did so, we all headed back to the ferry for our lunch, which consisted of sandwiches, Lay’s potato chips, and drinks of lemonade and water. Before leaving the ferry, my sisters and I had each gotten a Junior Ranger booklet to complete. Normally, only my two youngest sisters do the Junior Ranger Program (believe it or not, they already have over 60 badges), but this time I was bribed with the idea that anyone who completed the booklet to earn a Junior Ranger badge for Dry Tortugas would get a free ice cream sandwich back on the Yankee Freedom. We quickly filled out our booklets, earned our badges, and proudly gave them to my dad for safe keeping while we snorkeled.

I had heard that some tourists had recently seen a barracuda and a baby shark swimming around the fort, so I kept my eyes peeled for either of those. In the end, I didn’t get to see a barracuda or a baby shark, but under the clear turquoise water around Fort Jefferson I did spot corral, crabs, and many schools of tropical fish. Speaking of crabs, we also found many rainbow-colored ones on the shore – along with a row of washed-up Cuban fishing (refugee) boats.

As there isn’t any freshwater at Dry Tortugas, hence the name “dry,” I showered on the ferry before we left the island. There aren’t any bathrooms on the island either, so everybody who visits uses the bathrooms aboard the ferry.

Shortly after we left dock, my sisters and I claimed our free ice cream sandwiches. Personally, I would have preferred a bowl of berry sorbet, but I was happy that together my sisters and I had received treats just for earning another Junior Ranger badge (which my youngest sisters do quite often).

On the way back I spent more of my time outside on the decks rather than inside the cabin. I enjoy the rush of fresh air against my face and how it wildly whips my hair behind me. I have to say, my unbrushed, partly-damp hair got pretty wild after standing at the bow of the ship for a third of the trip home.

As we journeyed back to Key West, we spotted the Marquesas Keys; one of the keys was covered in Magnificent Frigatebirds (Magnificent is part of the birds’ name – I’m not using it as an adjective).

Although we only took a day trip to Dry Tortugas, there is the option to go camping. If you prefer to travel by air rather than sea, you can also arrive at the island by seaplane rather than the Yankee Freedom.

As the ferry slowed down and entered Key West Harbor, we saw thousands of people gathered along the shoreline, at Mallory Square, and on many boats, enjoying the famous Key West sunset just as we were.

I had many great adventures and visited many breathtaking places here in America over the past one-and-a-half years, but I’d say that our trip to Dry Tortugas is definitely in my top ten favorites. I’d love to visit again – maybe next time I’ll even try camping there.

Dare to explore!

Vivienne