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{{see also|Dry Tortugas National Park}} #REDIRECT ]
{{About|the Florida islands|islands with similar names|Tortuga Island (disambiguation){{!}}Tortuga Island}}
{{Infobox islands
| name = Dry Tortugas
| sobriquet = <!-- or |nickname= -->
| image_name = Dry tortugas94.jpg
| image_size = 250
| image_caption = National Park Service map of the Dry Tortugas
| map = USA Florida#USA
| map_width = 250px
| map_relief = yes
| coordinates = {{coord|24|38|00|N|82|55|12|W|type:isle_region:US-FL|display=inline,title}}
| etymology =
| location = end of the ], ]


{{R from merge}}
| GridReference = <!-- UK only -->
| archipelago = Florida Keys

| waterbody = ]
| total_islands = 7
| major_islands = Garden Key
| area_acre = 10000000
| area_footnotes =
| elevation_ft = 10
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=peakbagger>{{cite peakbagger |pid=7938 |name=Loggerhead Key High Point}}</ref>
| highest_mount =
| country = United States
| country_admin_divisions_title = ]
| country_admin_divisions = ]
| country_admin_divisions_title_1 = ]
| country_admin_divisions_1 = ]
| country_admin_divisions_title_2 = ]
| country_admin_divisions_2 = Lower Keys
| country_area_sqmi = <!-- or |country_area_sqft= or |country_area_acre= -->
| population =
*'''Regular:''' 0
*'''Seasonal:''' varies
| population_as_of = as of {{start date|2016|10}}
| population_footnotes =
| timezone1 = ]
| utc_offset1 = -5:00
| timezone1_DST = ]
| utc_offset1_DST = -4:00
| website =
| additional_info =
}}

The '''Dry Tortugas''' are a small group of islands, located in the ] at the end of the ], ], about {{convert|67|mi|km|0|sp=us}} west of ], and {{convert|37|mi|km|0|sp=us}} west of the ], the closest islands. Still farther west is the ], which is submerged. The first Europeans to discover the islands were the ] in 1513, led by explorer ]. The archipelago's name derives from the lack of fresh water springs, and the presence of turtles. They are an ] of ], and belong to the Lower Keys ]. With their surrounding waters, they constitute the ].

==Geography==
The keys are low and irregular. Some keys have thin growths of ], and various other vegetation, while others have only small patches of grass, or are devoid of plant life. In general, they rise abruptly from relatively deep water. They are continually changing in size and shape. The Tortugas ] has had up to 11 islets during the past two centuries. Some of the smaller islands have disappeared and reappeared multiple times as a result of ] impact.

===Islands===
The total area of the islets, some of which are little more than sand bars just above the water mark, is about {{convert|58|hectare|acre|0|sp=us|abbr=off}}. Their area changes over time as wind and waves reshape them. There are seven islets (from west to east):
<!--
to be worked into a table later (U.S. Census 2000 figures):
Block 3044 East Key 44621 m<sup>2</sup>
Block 3045 Middle Key 5589 m<sup>2</sup>
Block 3046 Hospital Key 5687 m<sup>2</sup>
Block 3047 Garden+Bush+Long Key 362399 m<sup>2</sup>
Block 3048 Loggerhead Key 229876 m<sup>2</sup>
-->

* ''']''', {{cvt|250 by 1200|m}} in size, with an area of {{cvt|26|hectare|acre|abbr=off}} is the largest. This island has the highest elevation in the Dry Tortugas, at {{cvt|10|ft|m}}. The ], {{cvt|46|m}} high, is on this island.<ref name=peakbagger/>
<gallery caption="" widths="220px" heights="150px">
File:Aerial view of Loggerhead Key, Dry Tortugas (8473755888).jpg|An aerial view of ]
</gallery>
* '''Garden Key''', with ] and the inactive ] ({{cvt|20|m}}). It is {{cvt|4|km}} east of Loggerhead Key. Garden Key is the second largest island in the chain, at {{cvt|400 by 500|m}} in size, with an area of {{cvt|17|hectare|acre}}. The original size, before construction of Fort Jefferson, has been estimated at {{cvt|30,350 to 35,610|m2|acre}}.
]
* '''Bush Key''', formerly named Hog Island because of the hogs that were raised there to provide fresh meat for the prisoners at Fort Jefferson, just a few meters east of Garden Key. At times, Bush Key is connected to Garden Key by a sand bar. The island is the third largest, {{cvt|150 by 900|m}}, area {{cvt|12|hectare|acre|abbr=off}}, less than {{cvt|1|m}} high. Bush Key is the site of a large ] ]. It is closed to visitors from April to September to protect nesting ]s and ]s.
* '''Long Key''', {{cvt|59|m}} south of the eastern end of Bush Key, {{cvt|50 by 200|m}} in size, area of {{cvt|8,000|m2|acre}}.
* '''Hospital Key''', so called because a hospital for the inmates of Fort Jefferson had been built there in the 1870s. The island was formerly called Middle Key or Sand Key. It lies {{cvt|2.5|km}} northeast of Garden Key and Bush Key, {{cvt|70|m}}. Its area is {{cvt|4,000|m2|acre}}, and it is {{cvt|1|m}} above sea level at its highest point.
* '''Middle Key''', {{cvt|2.5|km}} east of Hospital key, {{cvt|90|m}}, area {{cvt|6,000|m2|acre}}, due to various seasonal changes, storm patterns and tidal cycles it is not always above sea level, disappearing for weeks or months, only to reappear again.
* '''East Key''', {{cvt|2|km}} east of Middle Key, {{cvt|100 by 200|m}}, area {{cvt|1.6|hectare|acre|abbr=off}}, over {{cvt|2|m}} high.

The three westernmost keys, which are also the three largest keys (Loggerhead Key, Garden Key, and Bush Key), make up about 93 percent of the total land area of the group.

===Former islands===
Formerly existing keys were (from west to east):
* '''Southwest Key''', disappeared by 1875, today a ] south off of Loggerhead Reef.
* '''Bird Key''' (formerly Booby Key), was about {{convert|1.5|km|abbr=on}} southwest of Garden Key, disappeared in 1935, current names in the area are ''Bird Key Bank'' and ''Bird Key Harbor''. The Key was the site of numerous Union soldiers' graves during the Civil War.<ref name="Reid"/>{{rp|88}}
* '''North Key''', probably identical with former ''Booby Island'', current name in the area is ''North Key Harbor'', an ]age WSW of Pulaski Shoal, disappeared by 1875.
* '''Northeast Key''' (earlier called Sand Key), was between East Key and North Key, slightly to the North, disappeared by 1875.

===Shoals with lights===
* '''Pulaski Shoal''' (Pulaski Reef), marking the northeast edge of the group at {{coord|24|41|36|N|82|46|24|W|}}, is not an island, but the former location of the ].
* '''Iowa Rock''', halfway between Garden Key and Hospital Key, is another site of a navigational light (and weather station) built in shallow water. It was destroyed by ], with three bare stumps left {{Citation needed|date=June 2008}}.

==Climate==
<div style="width: 100%;">{{Weather box
|location = Dry Tortugas, 1981-2010 normals, extremes 1950-present
|single line = Y |
| Jan high F = 73.6
| Feb high F = 74.8
| Mar high F = 77.9
| Apr high F = 81.4
| May high F = 86.0
| Jun high F = 90.0
| Jul high F = 91.1
| Aug high F = 91.7
| Sep high F = 89.7
| Oct high F = 84.7
| Nov high F = 79.1
| Dec high F = 75.5
|year high F = 83.0
| Jan low F = 63.8
| Feb low F = 64.4
| Mar low F = 66.8
| Apr low F = 70.1
| May low F = 74.0
| Jun low F = 76.5
| Jul low F = 78.3
| Aug low F = 77.8
| Sep low F = 77.2
| Oct low F = 74.9
| Nov low F = 70.7
| Dec low F = 66.1
|year low F = 71.7
|Jan record high F = 89
|Feb record high F = 92
|Mar record high F = 93
|Apr record high F = 94
|May record high F = 96
|Jun record high F = 99
|Jul record high F = 98
|Aug record high F = 101
|Sep record high F = 98
|Oct record high F = 95
|Nov record high F = 90
|Dec record high F = 88
|year record high F=
|Jan record low F = 46
|Feb record low F = 43
|Mar record low F = 47
|Apr record low F = 56
|May record low F = 55
|Jun record low F = 64
|Jul record low F = 64
|Aug record low F = 65
|Sep record low F = 66
|Oct record low F = 59
|Nov record low F = 51
|Dec record low F = 48
|year record low F=
| Jan precipitation inch = 2.61
| Feb precipitation inch = 2.11
| Mar precipitation inch = 2.54
| Apr precipitation inch = 2.00
| May precipitation inch = 1.57
| Jun precipitation inch = 3.41
| Jul precipitation inch = 2.90
| Aug precipitation inch = 4.26
| Sep precipitation inch = 6.63
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.88
| Nov precipitation inch = 2.02
| Dec precipitation inch = 2.49
|year precipitation inch =
|precipitation colour = green
| unit rain days = 0.01 in
| Jan rain days = 6.4
| Feb rain days = 5.6
| Mar rain days = 5.5
| Apr rain days = 3.7
| May rain days = 4.3
| Jun rain days = 8.3
| Jul rain days = 9.4
| Aug rain days = 11.3
| Sep rain days = 13.3
| Oct rain days = 8.7
| Nov rain days = 5.4
| Dec rain days = 5.9
| year rain days =
|source 1 =
}}</div>

==Environment==
]

The islands get their name from their distinctive characteristics: ''Turtles'', because Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer, saw several big sea turtles on the island. Soon afterward, the word "Dry" was added to the name, to indicate to mariners the islands' lack of springs. Later seafarers would keep the turtles on their backs in the holds of sailing ships and butcher them when they wanted fresh meat. They are not related to the ] island of ], near ].

The islands are home to ] and are accessible only by boat or ]. The large ], including ]s, ], ] and ], and the regular occurrence of Caribbean ] birds makes them a popular ] destination.

==History==
Spanish explorer ] gave the Dry Tortugas their name on his first visit in 1513. The name is the second oldest surviving European place-name in the US.<ref>] was named earlier, April 2, 1513, by Ponce de León – From Spanish historian ]'s account, published in 1601 – {{cite book |title=Names on the Land: A Historical Account of Place-Naming in the United States |last= Stewart|first=George |authorlink=George R. Stewart|year=1945 |publisher= Random House|location=New York |page= 13 |isbn=1-59017-273-6}}</ref> They were given the name ''Las Tortugas'' ("The Turtles") due to 170 ] taken on the islands and shoals by de León's men. Soon afterward, the word "Dry" was added to the name, to indicate to mariners the islands' lack of springs.<ref>{{cite book | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=9V1IAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA109#v=onepage&q&f=false | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | last= Gannett| first= Henry | year=1905 | pages=109}}</ref>

In 1742 ] wrecked in the Dry Tortugas. The stranded crew lived on Garden Key for 56 days, and fought a battle with a Spanish sloop, before sailing to ] in several boats.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.floridakeys.com/keywest/key-west-dry-tortugas.htm |title= The Dry Tortugas and Marquesas Keys – The British Castaways of HMS Tyger| website= floridakeys.com| first= | last= | access-date= July 6, 2007}}</ref>

] visited the Tortugas in 1832 and so did ] in 1858.<ref name="Reid"/>{{rp|25}}

] on Garden Key, from northeast]]

The United States government never completed ] after 30 years on Garden Key. This bastion remained in ] hands throughout the ]. It later was used as a ] until abandoned in 1874. ], famous for being the doctor who treated ] in the wake of the ] assassination, was imprisoned here until early 1869. During the 1880s, the ] established a base in the Dry Tortugas, and it subsequently set up a ]ing (refueling) and a ] (radio) station there as well. During ], a seaplane base was established in the islands, but it was abandoned soon thereafter.

From 1903 until 1939 the Carnegie Institution of Washington operated the Marine Biology Laboratory on Loggerhead Key which "...quickly became the best-equipped marine biological station in the tropical world.”<ref>{{cite book |last1=Trefil |first1=James |last2=Hazen |first2=Margaret |authorlink=James Trefil| title=Good Seeing: A Century of Science at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1902-2002 |date=2002 |publisher= Joseph Henry Press |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn=978-0309082617 |page=51}}</ref> Through the years, over 150 researchers used the facilities to perform a wide range of research.<ref></ref> In June 1911 the laboratory built a vessel in Miami, {{MV|Anton Dohrn|1911|2}}, for use by researchers as well as logistics between the station and Key West.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Mayer |first=Alfred G. |year=1911 |title=Department of Marine Biology |journal=Carnegie Institution of Washington Year Book No. 10 |volume=10 |issue= |pages=120–127 |location=Washington | publisher= Carnegie Institution of Washington |doi= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yj9DAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA120#v=onepage&q&f=false |accessdate=16 July 2015}}</ref> The vessel, excepting a period of World War I service with the Navy, supported the laboratory's work until closure in 1939 and donation of ''Anton Dohrn'' to the ].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=83503&tid=4142&cid=1551&i=3 |title=Anton Dohrn, 1940-1947 | first= | last= | via= whoi.edu |date= |work=History of WHOI Ships |publisher=Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution |accessdate=12 July 2015}}</ref>

An account of a visit to the fort at the Dry Tortugas by President ] and Justice-to-be ] can be found in Jackson's book ''That Man: An Insider's Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt''.

The Dry Tortugas are also rich in maritime history. In 1989 Seahawk Deep Ocean Technology explored a shipwreck believed to be part of the 1622 ]. The wreck located in {{cvt|1332|ft|m}} of water, yielded olive jars, copper, gold, silver, glass and other cultural artifacts.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Søreide|first1=Fredrik|title=Ships from the Depths: Deepwater Archaeology| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=swDJtOj6yRIC&pg=PA84&lpg=PA84&dq=deepwater+treasure+florida+keys&source=bl&ots=zxaQkz3Ddo&sig=S4GWeMsPmQ03WSCmqoHWeUbWA8Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CFIQ6AEwCDgKahUKEwip3rWhqefGAhXMFh4KHUQGDhU#v=onepage&q=deepwater%20treasure%20florida%20keys&f=false|website=books.google.com|accessdate=19 July 2015}}</ref> On September 6, 1622, the '']'' was driven by a severe ] onto a ] near the ]s, about {{convert|35|mi|abbr=on}} west of ]. Mel Fisher and his company discovered the wreck July 20, 1985. The estimated $450 million cache recovered, known as "The Atocha Motherlode," included 40 tons of gold and silver; there were some 114,000 of the Spanish silver coins known as "]", gold coins, ]n ]s, gold and silver ], and 1,000 silver ]s.<ref name="http://www.melfisher.com">http://www.melfisher.com</ref> In addition to the ''Atocha'', Fisher's company, Salvors Inc., found remains of several nearby shipwrecks, including the ''Atocha's'' sister galleon the '']'', lost in the same year, and the remains of a slave ship known as the '']'', lost in 1700.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Malcom|first1=Corey|title=The Henrietta Marie an English merchant slave ship| url= http://www.melfisher.org/henriettamarie.htm|website=melfisher.org|publisher=The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum|accessdate=19 July 2015}}</ref>

In August 2004, the Dry Tortugas were directly struck by ]. The following day, a ] airplane crashed into the water near the islands, killing ] ] while he was filming scenery for the feature film '']''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sainz|first1=Adrian|title=Neal Fredericks, 'Blair Witch' cinematographer, died in crash| url= http://staugustine.com/stories/081704/sta_2517202.shtml|accessdate=19 July 2015| work= ] |date=August 17, 2004}}</ref>

==Visiting==
]
The Dry Tortugas are {{cvt|70|mi|km}} west of ]. Visiting the park by private boat is difficult because of its distance, so most visitors come by ferry, catamaran, or seaplane from Key West. Other methods of visiting the Dry Tortugas include chartering of authorized and approved private vessels. Only certain companies have access to fish or dive near the Dry Tortugas. Official ferry and transportation services to the Dry Tortugas includes the ], private vessel chartering and seaplane services.<ref name=drtodirections1>{{cite web|title=Directions|url=http://www.nps.gov/drto/planyourvisit/directions.htm|work=Dry Tortugas National Park|publisher=National Park Service|accessdate=14 January 2013}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
*In ]'s '']'' (1884), ] speaks of the Dry Tortugas in his drunken tales.<ref>“His stories were what frightened people worst of all. Dreadful stories they were—about hanging, and walking the plank, and storms at sea, and the Dry Tortugas, and wild deeds and places on the Spanish Main.” Stevenson, Robert Louis (1884) Treasure Island, Roberts Brothers publishers. p.5.</ref>
*The Dry Tortugas are featured in ]'s '']'' serial.<ref></ref>
*Garden Key was the setting for ]'s '']'' novel.<ref name="Reid">{{cite book| last1= Reid| first1= Thomas| title= America's Fortress| publisher= University Press of Florida| location= Gainesville, Florida| isbn=9780813030197}}</ref>{{rp|13}}
*The Dry Tortugas are featured in the 2018 ] novel '']''.<ref>{{Cite news| url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/bishops-pawn-is-steve-berrys-most-personal-novel-to-date/2018/03/20/5ad1e006-2c4a-11e8-8dc9-3b51e028b845_story.html|title='Bishop's Pawn' is Steve Berry's most personal novel to date|last=Ayers |first=Jeff|date=2018-03-20|work=Washington Post| access-date= 2018-03-27|language=en-US|agency= Associated Press| issn= 0190-8286}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center" widths="195px" heights="240px">
File:Dry Tortugas 7S41000801975.jpg|Dry Tortugas from space in 1984
File:Moat from Fort Jefferson Window.jpg|View of moat and ocean from window at ], March 2004
File:Dry tortugas inset94-garden key.jpg|Map of Garden Key with ]
File:Pulaskishoallh.JPG|Pulaski Shoal Light
File:Dry tortugas np big.gif|Dry Tortugas overview map
</gallery>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* – Official National Park Service Site
* {{YouTube|hbIHJnSYtfw|Plan Your Visit: Dry Tortugas National Park}} by the National Park Service
*
* – A Photographic Guide to the Park.
* – Google Maps
*
*
* – National Geographic

{{Florida Keys}}
{{Monroe County, Florida}}

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Latest revision as of 17:27, 17 September 2021

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