INTRODUCTION
As always, you can view the photographic narrative for this story below. What is a photographic narrative?
In November 2024, my immediate family and I took advantage of the opportunity to visit one of America’s least visited National Parks. While in Key Largo, FL, for a friend’s wedding, we drove south, spent an evening in Key West, and the next morning boarded the Yankee Freedom Ferry which would deliver us to Dry Tortugas National Park.
Before we began planning this trip, I’d scarcely heard of Dry Tortugas National Park. For those in the same position, the park is on a remote island about seventy miles to the West of Key West, and about one-hundred miles North of Havana, Cuba. There are two options for getting there: boat, or seaplane. Because of the difficulty in getting there In 2024, Dry Tortugas had just 84,873 visitors in 2024, compared to Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks, each of which boasted about 4.9 million visitors.
On the island is Fort Jefferson, built with over sixteen million bricks, it was originally constructed to protect U.S. shipping lanes in the Gulf of Mexico. However, because of the logistical challenges of its construction, it was never fully completed. In fact, by the time any meaningful progress was made it was essentially obsolete as a fort. However, it did see some use as a military prison, and at times, a few hundred people inhabited the fort, surviving off of rain water and sea turtle steaks. Most notably, imprisoned in the fort was Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was convicted of aiding John Wilkes Booth after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
After our evening in Key West, we boarded the Yankee Freedom Ferry at about 7am the next morning, and were on our way to the park shortly thereafter. The 1.5 hour ride across the open ocean passed quickly thanks to the incredible views and smooth seas. After arriving on the island, we spent the day leisurely exploring Fort Jefferson at our own pace.
Because of its remote location, you’re constantly aware of the uniqueness of the experience as you explore around. Out every glassless window, you see the moat which surrounds the fort, and past this, the open ocean in all directions. It brings on the peaceful feelings of isolation I seem to crave. I found myself envisioning what it would’ve been like to live on this little island while it still operated as a prison and small colony. Truly, the experience is best captured in photos (below).
At the end of our time on the island, we once again boarded the ferry, and set out toward Key West. We weren’t blessed with the same smooth seas we’d had that morning, and more than one person required a trip to the head to relieve themselves of their lunch. Even so, I’m beyond glad to have gone on this adventure, and would recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in the Florida Keys.
A STORY IN PHOTOGRAPHS
