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Description:
The park features
seven coral reefs, the Dry Tortugas, and is located about 70 miles west of
Key West in the Gulf of Mexico. Snorkel throughout the park or explore on
foot 16-acre Garden Key, which features the ruins of Fort Jefferson. The
park is accessible only by boat or seaplane.
Watchable Wildlife:
The park has earned
worldwide fame as a birding destination. Spring and fall migrations are the
best times to visit and check for many species of warblers, vireos and other
songbirds. Birders also watch for less common West Indian species that may
include the ruddy quail dove, variegated flycatcher, loggerhead kingbird,
Bahama swallow, Bahama mockingbird, thick-billed vireo, and yellow-faced
grassquit. Check the less-accessible keys by boat for nesting magnificent
frigatebird, masked booby, sooty tern and brown noddy. Snorkeling is popular
year-round.
Ownership:
National Park
Service
Contact:
(305) 242-7700
Directions:
Call the Key West
Chamber of Commerce for up-to-date information on transportation options to
and from the island; (305) 294-2587 or (800) 648-6269.
Related Sites:
Other South East Florida Wildlife Sites
Florida State
Parks |
Wildlife Viewing Site
