Who discovered Dry Tortugas?
Who discovered Dry Tortugas? In the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 70 miles west of Key West, are the seven saltwater reef islands that make up Dry Tortugas National Park. Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish conquistador and colonial administrator in the Caribbean, discovered and named the Dry Tortugas in 1513 as he sailed around the Florida peninsula.
Does anyone live on Dry Tortugas?
Yes! There are about a dozen National Park Service personnel living and working in the Dry Tortugas. The group includes rangers, maintenance workers, and their families—enough to provide for the basic support and protection of the 100–square–mile park.
What are fun facts about the Dry Tortugas?
- Ponce De Leon Discovered Dry Tortugas & Named It “The Islands Of Turtles”
- Seals At Dry Tortugas Were Hunted To Extinction.
- These Islands Are Known As The “Sand Keys”
- Dry Tortugas Once Featured A Lighthouse & Research Laboratory.
- There Were Ship Disasters & Sunken Treasure At Dry Tortugas.
Did pirates go to Dry Tortugas?
Unfortunately, while the Dry Tortugas were an attractive destination for marauding pirates, they were also the site of some 200 shipwrecks before the construction of the lighthouse on Loggerhead Key.
Is Dry Tortugas 99% underwater?
Located in the southwest corner of the Florida Keys reef system, Dry Tortugas National Park is a remote park that is more than 99% water. Its crystal clear ocean waters abound with incredible marine life.
Can you swim in Dry Tortugas?
Located some 70 miles west of Key West, and consisting of wide-open water and a smattering of small islands, Dry Tortugas is actually the wettest national park in the country—one that necessitates swimming and snorkeling to really grasp its breadth.
Why is Dry Tortugas famous?
In 1898 the U.S.S. Maine sailed from the Dry Tortugas on its ill-fated voyage to the bottom of Havana harbor, helping ignite the Spanish-American War. Ten years later the islands were designated a preserve and breeding ground for birds. Then, in 1935, Fort Jefferson was declared a national monument.