Introduction

Dry Tortugas National Park—a destination as well known for its legendary intrigue as it is for its natural wonders—is comprised of coral reefs and rubble and surrounded by generous shoals and waters. One major attraction is Fort Jefferson, one of the largest coastal forts ever built.

The Dry Tortugas is a cluster of seven small islands that lie 68 miles off the coast of Key West in South Florida. Ponce De Leon was the first European to name them in 1513. He relied on the massive sea turtles or "tortugas" found there to be a food source for his sailors. Dry was added to the area's name to warn mariners that no fresh water could be found here. The Dry Tortugas' reefs and shoals have proved hazardous to seafaring navigators; they are the site of hundreds of shipwrecks.

In the early 1800s, the tiny group of islands came to the attention of the U.S. military—mostly because of its strategic location in the Florida straits. In 1846, construction of massive Fort Jefferson began that lasted almost 30 years, but it was never completed. Changing technologies and times rendered the fort obsolete. In the early twentieth century, the Dry Tortugas' abundant sea life and unusual variety of birds became its central attraction. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt designated Fort Jefferson and its surrounding waters as a national monument. Congress redesignated it Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992 in order to better protect the area's natural features and historic heritage.