The national park of Dry Tortugas shelters the islands of Dry Tortugas , in the Archipel of the Keys (Florida) as well as the Fort Jefferson, which is the showpiece. The park covers a surface of 262 km ², of which the major part is underwater. It is to approximately 109 km in the west of Key West, in the Gulf of Mexico.

The islands Dry Tortugas are a whole of 11 small islands of sand hardly levelling above the sea level and protected by famous coral reefs for their richness and abundance from their marine fauna, but also for their Naufrage S and their legends of absorbed Trésor S.

Inspected fine 1824 by the commodore American David Porter, the islands are then regarded as being unsuitable with the construction of a naval base making it possible to fight against piracy in the the Antilles. In 1825, it is however decided to build a headlight on the island of Garden Key , which is completed the following year. The headlight, of almost 20 meters in height, consists of bricks and a white external facing, and is accompanied by a small white maisonnette being used to accommodate the guard.

Again inspected by the commodore John Rodgers in May 1829, the islands appear in fact being a strategic place for the construction of a advanced station intended to defend the gulf. In 1846 begins construction from strong Jefferson, in reference to Thomas Jefferson, imposing a coastal fortress which will remain unfinished. Composed of more than 16 million bricks, it is, today still, most important construction in Maçonnerie of the hemisphere Western.

See also: Strong Jefferson

External bonds

• Official site

• Key West
• Photographs - Terra Galleria
• Card of the park on site UNEP-WCMC