Dry Tortugas National Park

Dry Tortugas National Park is known for its famous bird and marine life, and its legends of pirates and sunken gold. Fort Jefferson, one of the largest coastal forts ever built, is a central feature.

The Tortugas were first discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513. Abundant sea turtles or "tortugas" provisioned his ships with fresh meat, but there was no fresh water-the tortugas were dry. Since the days of Spanish exploration, the reefs and shoals of the Dry Tortugas have been a serious hazard to navigation and the site of hundreds of shipwrecks.

U.S. military attention was drawn to the keys in the early 1800's due to their strategic location in the Florida Straits. Plans were made for a massive fortress and construction began in 1846, but the fort was never completed. The invention of the rifled cannon made it obsolete.

As the military value of Fort Jefferson waned, its pristine reefs, abundant sea life and impressive numbers of birds grew in value. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt set aside Fort Jefferson and the surrounding waters as a national monument. The area was redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992 to protect both the historical and natural features.

Key West Florida Weather

Current Fri Nov 21 Fair	Current Weather Conditions
	Temperature	62° F	Sunrise	6:46 am
	Feels Like	62° F	Sunset	5:39 pm
	Barometer	30.15	N Wind	6 mph
	Dewpoint	57° F	Gusts	none
	Humidity	84%	Visibility	10 miles

7 Day Forecast	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu
High Temp F	73°	72°	75°	77°	77°	77°	77°
Low Temp F	57°	64°	65°	67°	68°	68°	68°
Precipitation	0%	0%	5%	10%	10%	10%	10%

Reported by NOAA on Nov 21, 5:53 am EST - ©2008 Acme Weatherwerks

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Dry Tortugas National Park