The Florida Keys have a rich history dating back to the indigenous peoples who lived there thousands of years ago. Some of the most significant Florida Keys Historical Events include: Ponce de León’s arrival in 1513: Juan Ponce de León arrived in Florida in 1513, marking the start of European exploration and colonization of the … Read more
Nursery-grown elkhorn coral transplanted into Dry Tortugas National Park survived and thrived, growing twice as fast as corals planted in other locations in the Florida Keys, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study published in Endangered Species Research. USGS researchers are studying the growth and success of nursery-grown transplanted corals in the Florida Keys; research … Read more
Enter Dry Tortugas National Park, one of just three designated national parks in Florida — and one of the most remote in the entire U.S. National Park System.Wide-open spaces are the name of the game in today’s pandemic-ravaged tourism landscape, which is why travelers all over the U.S. are flocking to national parks. But a national park … Read more
The Research Natural Area (RNA) was designated as an area of special protection within Dry Tortugas National Park in 2007. The RNA was designed to work along with the two existing ecological reserves as a network to protect the shallow water habitats and reef fish species found in the Tortugas. Recent research shows that the … Read more
The Dry Tortugas are a small, remote cluster of islands 70 miles west of Key West. This Dry Tortugas American Crocodile hasn’t seen another member of his own species since he swam out here in 2003 — which makes it difficult not to think of him as the World’s Loneliest Crocodile. by shannon collingsworth This American … Read more
The two National Parks around the Florida Keys are both off shore of the islands. They are the Dry Tortugas National Park and Everglades National Park. Currently the entrance fees only apply to going on land at the parks and not to the waters surrounding the park land. The next fee-free day of 2017 is … Read more
The lone resident American Crocodile at Fort Jefferson, in the Dry Tortugas, has been there for almost two decades, according to National Park Service rangers. There were fewer than 200 when the American Crocodile was listed as endangered on the federal Endangered Species List in the 1970s. Now it is estimated there may … Read more
All signs point to the ongoing Florida Keys Sea Turtle nesting season as a loggerhead baby bonanza. “This season has seen some of the highest nesting counts in the Keys in a number of years,” Sue Schaf, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said Friday. “In general, it’s been great.” “In … Read more
A sort of mini Alcatraz off the coast of Florida once held one of America’s most famous prisoners. The Dry Tortugas, a small group of islands about 70 miles off the coast of Key West, Fla., were purchased by the United States from Spain in the early 1800s. The area is one of the smallest … Read more
Summer may be slipping away, but you still have time to slip beneath some waves. The best part is — you don’t even have to leave the country to do it. Yahoo Travel went in search of easily accessible and interesting places to don fins, mask, and snorkels for a fun day of fish peeping. … Read more
Greetings from Garden Key. The most remote campground in Florida comes with clean air and unspoiled views. GARDEN KEY, DRY TORTUGAS — “We have our coral reef eco-system, We have our seabirds behind us,” says Glenn Simpson pointing behind him while looking forward at one of the most remote locations to camp overnight in Florida. Appropriately … Read more
Greetings from the Dry Tortugas. Scott Fais explores Garden Key with National Park Service Manager Glenn Simpson. By Scot Fais, Feature Reporter DRY TORTUGAS, THE FLORIDA KEYS, MONROE COUNTY — Costs and travel planning information appears below the following story.Mornings start early along the waterfront in Key West. The predawn boarding call aboard the Yankee Freedom … Read more