Our cruise ship docked in Key West by 8 this morning. We explored Key West, and then went to the airport to board a seaplane for a four hour, 140 mile round trip to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. The seaplane flew close to the water, with the pilot narrating in both directions. We saw several large sea turtles, dolphins, manta rays, and other large fish. The colors of the water were beautiful!
The seaplane landed on the water and motored into the beach within a few feet of Fort Jefferson. It is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere, built of more than 16 million bricks, over nearly thirty years, from 1846-1875. Fort Jefferson was named a National Monument by FDR in 1935 and became a National Park in 1992. We enjoyed the afternoon, exploring inside
and outside the fort, plus bird watching.
