Day 2 of Spring Break trip and it was off to Dry Tortugas National Park. As we were camping we had to be at the Yankee Freedom Ferry dock at 6:30 with all of our camping gear. It is primitive camping so you have to carry everything on and off the island with you. It was a bit rough on the way out and myself and oldest daughter got a little seasick. After arriving on Garden Key in Dry Tortugas National Park we set up our tent and went off to explore. Well, the girls mainly played in the sand and with the hermit crabs. We spent two nights and almost 3 full days in the Dry Tortugas. We had a great time and really enjoyed the history, especially the tour provided by Hollywood from the Yankee Freedom. We tried some snorkeling, but because it was a little rough the visibility was limited. I did eventually make it around to the old coaling docks and was able to get a couple decent underwater photos. We got to see two sunrises and sunsets on the island and spent a lot of time on the beach. Once the ferry leaves it is just a few campers and a few staff members on the entire island. I love photographing the fort, the beautiful blues and greens of the water and all of the crabs and birds. Dry Tortugas is a birding hot spot. Garden Key is currently connected to Bush Key which is closed as it is a major nesting site for sooty terns. Bush Key in turn is currently connected to Long Key which is where the Magnificent Frigatebirds hang out. Many migrant birds stop over too, especially during the migrations. On the way back I was able to get a photo of Hospital Key which has a small colony of Masked Boobies, a bird which I have never photographed before. The other island nearby is Loggerhead Key which has Loggerhead Lighthouse, another of my favorite photography targets in the Dry Tortugas. If you are visiting Key West, you should definitely take the trip out to visit this awesome place. Definitely one of my favorite places that I have ever been. I also highly recommend camping so you can experience the island without the day crowd. If you are interested in camping, book very early as the ferry can only carry 10 campers each day. My family of 5 booked more than a year in advance to make sure they could carry us out over the kids spring break.
