According to the International Eco Tourism Society, ecotourism is defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." Although Florida has been a vacation destination for decades, and the Orlando area contains some of America's best known "tourist traps," plenty of the state remains undeveloped for people who are more interested in authentic natural sea life than the kind of artificial exhibits you find a theme parks like Sea World.
One of the most popular destinations for eco-tourists in South Florida is The Dry Tortugas, known for their transparent turquoise ocean waters, unpolluted sandy beaches, and living coral reefs. The remote, unspoiled exotic destination is a "best bet" destination for nature lovers who want to enjoy tourist attractions like dolphin watching and snorkeling, while maintaining respect and reverence for the natural environment.
First discovered by the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León in 1513, the Dry Tortugas is a coral atoll that rises only a few feet above the waves in the Gulf of Mexico, nearly 70 miles southwest of Key West. The group of small islands gets its name from the abundant sea turtles ("tortugas" in Spanish) that Ponce de León's expedition found there, and the fact that the islands have no natural source of fresh water. Today, there are more tourists than sea turtles in the Dry Tortugas, but you can still find these majestic creatures in the waters around the islands.
When you embark on a Key West Dry Tortugas eco tour, you'll enjoy Dry Tortugas National Park and historic Fort Jefferson, the largest of the coastal forts in the U.S. The fort is situated on the largest island, Garden Key, and was used as a prison during the Civil War. While visiting the islands, you may want to include a snorkeling trip to the coral reef, where you can see a variety of tropical fish, sea urchins, and sometimes even the turtles that gave the island chain its name. The water is shallow along the reef, with the average depth between 5 and 15 feet. Though the atoll is best known for its aquatic life, if you plan a winter trip to the islands, you'll also see gulls, egrets, pelicans, frigate birds, and sooty terns, all of which migrate to nest in the Dry Tortugas.
Part of the attraction is the remote location of these beautiful islands. They can only be reached by sea or air. Tourists can take either a Dry Tortugas ferry, a chartered boat, or a Dry Tortugas seaplane charter to the islands. Dry Tortugas ferry service takes a couple of hours to arrive at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas National Park.
Although the trip takes some time, the ferry interiors are comfortably air-conditioned, and on many trips an oboard naturalist provides an orientation to the history and wildlife of the area. If you'd rather relax and take in the Caribbean sunshine, you can also travel on the observation deck to enjoy the sea breezes or work on your tan.
The faster way to get to the Dry Tortugas is via a from Key West. Low-level flying affords you some unequalled views of Fort Jefferson and the reefs around Garden Key. Up to five people can share a seaplane charter, and every seat is a window seat, so there are lots of opportunities to photograph sea life like dolphins and sea turtles.
To protect the ecologic integrity of the Dry Tortugas, the National Park Service has insituted rules and regulations that must be followed by all visitors. Although you may collect dead seashells above the high water line, you may not collect or disturb shells, corals (living or dead), seafans, conch, tropical fish, lobster, or turtles and their nests at any time. Although recreational fishing is allowed with appropriate permits, commercial fishing and spearfishing are banned.
As with all National Parks, visitors are asked to leave the area cleaner than they found it, so don't dump bottles, cans, paper, or other trash on park grounds or in the waters, and if you've piloted your own boat to the Dry Tortugas, don't pump out holding tanks.
Whether your Florida Keys vacation plans include spending time in nature, a Dry Tortugas
One of the most popular destinations for eco-tourists in South Florida is The Dry Tortugas, known for their transparent turquoise ocean waters, unpolluted sandy beaches, and living coral reefs. The remote, unspoiled exotic destination is a "best bet" destination for nature lovers who want to enjoy tourist attractions like dolphin watching and snorkeling, while maintaining respect and reverence for the natural environment.
First discovered by the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León in 1513, the Dry Tortugas is a coral atoll that rises only a few feet above the waves in the Gulf of Mexico, nearly 70 miles southwest of Key West. The group of small islands gets its name from the abundant sea turtles ("tortugas" in Spanish) that Ponce de León's expedition found there, and the fact that the islands have no natural source of fresh water. Today, there are more tourists than sea turtles in the Dry Tortugas, but you can still find these majestic creatures in the waters around the islands.
When you embark on a Key West Dry Tortugas eco tour, you'll enjoy Dry Tortugas National Park and historic Fort Jefferson, the largest of the coastal forts in the U.S. The fort is situated on the largest island, Garden Key, and was used as a prison during the Civil War. While visiting the islands, you may want to include a snorkeling trip to the coral reef, where you can see a variety of tropical fish, sea urchins, and sometimes even the turtles that gave the island chain its name. The water is shallow along the reef, with the average depth between 5 and 15 feet. Though the atoll is best known for its aquatic life, if you plan a winter trip to the islands, you'll also see gulls, egrets, pelicans, frigate birds, and sooty terns, all of which migrate to nest in the Dry Tortugas.
Part of the attraction is the remote location of these beautiful islands. They can only be reached by sea or air. Tourists can take either a Dry Tortugas ferry, a chartered boat, or a Dry Tortugas seaplane charter to the islands. Dry Tortugas ferry service takes a couple of hours to arrive at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas National Park.
Although the trip takes some time, the ferry interiors are comfortably air-conditioned, and on many trips an oboard naturalist provides an orientation to the history and wildlife of the area. If you'd rather relax and take in the Caribbean sunshine, you can also travel on the observation deck to enjoy the sea breezes or work on your tan.
The faster way to get to the Dry Tortugas is via a from Key West. Low-level flying affords you some unequalled views of Fort Jefferson and the reefs around Garden Key. Up to five people can share a seaplane charter, and every seat is a window seat, so there are lots of opportunities to photograph sea life like dolphins and sea turtles.
To protect the ecologic integrity of the Dry Tortugas, the National Park Service has insituted rules and regulations that must be followed by all visitors. Although you may collect dead seashells above the high water line, you may not collect or disturb shells, corals (living or dead), seafans, conch, tropical fish, lobster, or turtles and their nests at any time. Although recreational fishing is allowed with appropriate permits, commercial fishing and spearfishing are banned.
As with all National Parks, visitors are asked to leave the area cleaner than they found it, so don't dump bottles, cans, paper, or other trash on park grounds or in the waters, and if you've piloted your own boat to the Dry Tortugas, don't pump out holding tanks.
Whether your Florida Keys vacation plans include spending time in nature, a Dry Tortugas
