Flying to the Dry Tortugas

We took a seaplane into the central time zone, to the Dry Tortugas, one of the more remote national parks. It's about 80 miles west of Key West.


Plane reflected on the floor of the Gulf:


I will post plenty more images tomorrow.


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Heron and Pelly

Pelly flying by, heron or great egret strolling by.





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Hanging 'round the house

Victor took a dip in the saltwater swimming enclosure, which was pretty deep, and too murky for his snorkeling mask to be useful.


Birds seen around the cottage and its neighborhood...love the Laughing Gulls.





Can you see the pelicans, below? Victor's faves.





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Turtle safety

We got to feed the turtles. :)
This was at the injured-bird facility. Assuming the turtles were somehow limited.








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Southernmost point

The marker, and the surf just behind the marker:





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Touring Key West

Random sights...the Conch Tour Train


A sandal manufactory


The hotel where Victor stayed in 1998. I say this hotel is not the one that he identified to me earlier in our stay.





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Freely wandering at the sanctuary

We don't have a sense of whether these birds were injured. They were at the sanctuary and were, obviously, not disturbed by humans.












Our guess is that the chickens, at least, are feral. Feral chickens are everywhere in Key West! It was startling for Victor in his first encounter with one. He was sure that he was mistaken when he saw a rooster wandering in a drive-up teller lane.


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Lovely sailing ship

It was moving so fast....





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Mangrove Mama's

We've been back often enough that we've had all three meals here.









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Who were committing acts of piracy?

"[M]en and women, slave and free, outlaw and lawman, took to the high seas in search of a new life..."


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Slavery and Piracy

Yes, those are shackles.


And more evidence that Columbus was not a man to celebrate:


"Vials" from a slave ship...not sure what purpose they served.


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Jewelry, etc., at the Maritime Museum

I love it that Mel found so much emerald jewelry.





And one ornate spoon!


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Gold booty

Loads of gold on display!





An ornate belt:





Cufflinks, etc.


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Fisher Maritime Museum

Although the salvage end of shipwreck is not my thing, I enjoyed the Fisher museum. That would be Mel Fisher, he of Atocha-locating and -salvaging fame.

I'll run a few posts on the sights to see there.






17th-century bottle stoppers--of interest, since glass is a common bottle stopper not long after.





A model of a ship going down...


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Lunch on Sunday

We had a Cuban lunch at Pepito's on Sunday. The bread basket came with spicy red and green tomatillo sauces, mmm. I had 4 stuffed plantain ends: pulled pork, seafood stew, beef picadillo, and...something else. Vic had a pulled pork sandwich.















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