2023-09-17 20:38:00
On the deck the wind blows in your face like a warming hairdryer. The Yankee Freedom roars through the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of the Florida Keys – a chain of islands in the very south of the USA. Adam Hollywood looks out to sea. “We’re heading straight for Fort Jefferson,” says the first boatswain on the excursion catamaran. “This is the most formidable fortress the United States has ever built.”
The fort once served as the first bastion to the south, built to secure trade routes. Today the building is a ruin. However: The coast guard is still stationed on the island. And boats patrol the island.
However, most people come to the fortress as tourists. It covers most of Key Garden Island, which is part of the Dry Tortugas. This is the smallest national park in the USA in terms of land area. It consists of 99 percent water and only a few small islands. The Tortugas are located about 110 kilometers off Key West, the main island of the Florida Keys.
To reach the national park, a day trip is ideal – for example with the Yankee Freedom. It travels daily from Key West towards the island world. It starts at 8 a.m. After about two hours, Adam Hollywood points to the horizon. “Fort Jefferson,” he says. The fortress rises from the turquoise sea.
Dry Tortugas National Park combines mighty buildings and unique nature
A huge, hexagonal brick building that seems like a foreign body in the delicate island world. Military strength in the midst of vulnerable nature. An attractive contrast. “What makes Dry Tortugas National Park so unique is the mix of breathtaking environment and man-made structures,” says Hollywood. “You stand in front of the fortress and think: Wow,” says the boatman. “Then you turn around and see this endless azure water that takes your breath away again.”
The Yankee Freedom is one of the few ships allowed to anchor off Key Garden. 175 people per trip – that is the permission of the national park administration. Many of the small islands around it are closed to visitors. Pretty much all the birds in North America rest and breed there, as Adam Hollywood says: “They stop here on the way to the south or back from there.” This diversity magically attracts birdwatchers. “During breeding season, half the boat is full of people with large cameras.”
A snorkeling tour is part of every trip to Fort Jefferson.
(Photo: Julius Lukas)
Captain Mike swings the Yankee Freedom in a wide arc towards the jetty that was built in front of the huge brick walls. Then we disembark. The trip by catamaran costs 114 US dollars (about 105 euros) per person. However, meals are included, as are the national park fee, a guided tour of the fort and snorkeling equipment.
Exploring the underwater world around the fortress is a must. The Gulf of Mexico is not a warm bathtub, but it is nowhere near as cool as the Baltic Sea. The water is pleasantly fresh. Fins on, glasses on and snorkel in your mouth. With strong leg kicks you walk away from the beach, along the outermost fortress wall.
The stones protrude meters deep into the sea, and corals have settled everywhere. They are not the most colorful in the world, but with their floral patterns, delicate branches and fine-pored fan structures, they quickly captivate the viewer. All the more so because dazzlingly colored fish dart around between them. With a bit of luck, you can even see sea turtles, which like all other animals in the national park thrive under special protection.
Florida Keys: 40 islands connected by the Overseas Highway
Short break halfway through the snorkeling tour around the fort. Your arms float quietly next to your body. The waves promptly take control, rocking the body back and forth evenly. You feel completely connected to the fish, which are driven back and forth in the same monotony. It is a deep immersion in nature, a feeling of weightlessness.
In this inner harmony, thoughts quickly wander away from the Tortugas and back to them Florida Keys. The island chain is an experience just because of the Overseas Highway. The 205 kilometer long road connects 40 islands that are lined up like pearls on a string.
Weakened dolphins are cared for at the Dolphin Rescue Center on Grassy Key.
(Photo: Julius Lukas)
There are swimming opportunities and numerous attractions to the left and right of the slopes. The Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key Island approximately. It is entirely dedicated to protecting marine mammals. Veterans can swim with dolphins here, and the pools once housed Mitzy, one of the dolphins who played Pinball on the television series.
Turtles find help at the Turtle Hospital
Not far from the dolphins, other sea creatures take center stage. In the Turtle Hospital Turtles have been cared for in the Keys town of Marathon for 36 years. Not without reason: Five of the world’s seven sea turtle species occur around the Keys – and all are threatened with extinction. Hunting armored animals has been banned since 1973. “Today, water pollution is the turtles’ biggest enemy,” says tour guide Christine Watt. Nice custom: At the Turtle Hospital, anyone who brings an injured animal to the hospital can also give it their name. “We’ve had Snickers, Chuck Norris and pretty much every Disney character there is,” Watt says.
Injured animals are nursed back to life in the Turtle Hospital.
(Photo: Julius Lukas)
The waves in front of Fort Jefferson get stronger, another snorkeler dives past. One last thought about Key West, the metropolis at the end of the Florida Keys. A vibrant city that enticed Ernest Hemingway to stay. The breathtaking sunsets, countless music bars on Duval Street and the Southernmost Point, the southernmost point of the mainland USA: If you haven’t seen Key West, you haven’t been to it Florida Keys.
The feet have strength again, back to the snorkeling adventure. Corals, fish, fortress. If you take your time, it will take an hour and a half around the fort. You can then relax on the white-sand beach. And if you want, you can conquer the fortress or walk along the long headlands.
After far too short hours, Adam calls Hollywood to leave. “An impressive place, isn’t it,” asks the boatswain – and receives a unanimous nod. The catamaran sets off again towards Key West. The mighty Fort Jefferson becomes smaller and smaller on the horizon until it is finally just a dot in the gigantic ocean.
Info: Arrival, overnight stay, catering
Many airlines fly to Miami every day from Germany. From the airport to the Inselkette Florida Keys it takes an hour by car. A rental car is recommended. There are overnight accommodations in the Keys in all price ranges. If you’re looking for a classy beach resort, this is it Baker’s Cay Resort on Key Largo right (from 300 euros per night). It’s good and cheaper La Siesta Resort auf Islamorada (from 180 euros per night). On Key West you can eat excellently and comparatively cheaply Half Shell Raw Bar at the old harbor. You should definitely try the fresh seafood there. That is outstanding Chef Michael’s in Islamorada. What the fishermen have caught that day is served exquisitely and in gourmet quality. Extremely delicious!
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