Explore Fort Jefferson & Underwater Wonders at Dry Tortugas

A beautiful experience when in the Florida Keys! I recommend making reservations in advance because the ferry books fast! You can only get to this island by boat or plane! The ferry from key west is mostly an all day excursion or you are able to camp overnight (providing your own equipment, food/water). The ferry has food and restrooms on board. The Fort itself is a unique historical place and the water is beautiful for snorkeling and exploring.

Dry Tortugas National Park!!! With commitment issues come time issues. I did not buy tickets ahead of time online (they're sold out months in advance) so, i did the noble thing of waking up at 4:30 am to stand in the standby line, hoping to snag a no show person's spot. NOTE TO SELF: just buy the 24 hour parking at the lot across the check in building. Dont spend $100+ and stress about it while losing service on the ferry. Ugh. The first guy in line had arrived at midnight and slept on the first waiting bench. The lovely lady in front of me got in line at 04:30 am. I got there at 4:45 am, and the couple behind me drove from Key Largo that morning - a 2 hour drive! a few others trickled in past 6 am but only the five of us got spots. NOTE TO SELF: the standby list is a gamble, but if you get there early enough, you will probably get a ticket. Bring your national parks card for a discount, tickets are $250/person! I was not sure if I'd get into this national park, so I was, by extension, not super excited. That changed when they called my name off of the standby list clip board and we boarded the Ferry (BTW, Dry Tortugas is 70 miles FROM KEY WEST - only accessible by boat or plane). 2 hour ferry ride ( i brought ginger and only got nauseated at the end of the ferry ride otw there. i also still feel like i'm on a rocking boat... even now that im off) I HIGHLY recommend the 1.5 hour tour - i honestly wish it was longer. Hollywood, our guide, is so incredibly passionate about this park. his enthusiasm is infectious. 🤍 It gives amazing perspective, background, and answers all of the "why" questions when you realize there's a massive (for the 1800s - and honestly for today too) military base in the middle of seemingly nowhere. After that (12:30) grab some lunch 11am - 1 pm), provided as part of your ticket price (ps you get breakfast included otw there too). I ate on the beach, snorkeled (they provide gear for free), Walked the beach to one of the islands that is only open in winter, visited the park shop (had to get my sticker), and did a final exploration of the fort before heading back to the boat (2:45 pm is last call - you can camp on the island but you have to arrange that in advance). On the way back, I saw a shark, jellyfish, & dolphins. Every single one of the crew members were incredibly kind, and all took time to talk to me. they gave me tips on where the best snorkeling place was, talked about the cool places where they were from, thanked me for my enthusiasm 😂 (I was totally enamored the entire day by the Dry Tortugas). My life is literally better now that I've been here, experienced and learned about this amazing place. This is all to say that I cannot recommend this trip enough. So i'm making notes for my next visit (10000% camping next time!!!)

Such a fun national park adventure! You definitely need to book your ferry/sea plan in advance! We were able to hike and snorkel with plenty of time before the ferry left as well as have lunch that was provided. I wish we could have snorkeled more. Water wasn’t super clear the day we went (December) but it was still beautiful snorkeling and we still saw a lot of cool fish. Water wasn’t too bad either, we weren’t freezing.

My partner and I took the Seaplane for a half day excursion. It was ideal to view the park from the air, on land, and underwater. The views were spectacular and beaches were pristine. The water temperature for snorkeling and swimming was perfect in mid-July and there were no Jellyfish. The entire park with Fort Jefferson is very photogenic albeit with a dark history. Thanks to the National Park Service Rangers there! I had the opportunity to see them delivering and transporting provisions and belongings via the ferry and believe that park assignment takes a special person. We felt accounted for and safe at this remote National Park and it was the highlight of our vacation!

This was a wonderful trip to the Dry Tortugas. I highly recommend. I have a severe form of motion sickness, but I took the 2 Dramamine pills on the way there (the original version) and two on the way back, and I survived beautifully. I highly recommend preparing your body if you know you struggle with motion sickness. We had a great time, and I didn’t see anyone being sick. There was some rocking back and forth, not too bad, but the place is gorgeous. We took the ferry there, and it was a 2 1/2 h trip that was so nice and informative. The staff is wonderful and our tour guy/park ranger, Hollywood, is amazing! He took the time to take us back in time, and he did a great job! He pointed how lucky we are these days and how much we complain for a minor inconvenience. He is so RIGHT!!!! This is a national park I highly recommend!