Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson
Despite the uncharacteristically colder weather in the Florida Keys, the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson day trip and camping excursions have been able to run daily since the start of the new year. While guests on board are more bundled up than usual, the trips have still provided visitors with the unforgettable journey these Dry Tortugas day trips are known for.
The start of the new year has brought some of the coldest temperature to the island of Key West and Dry Tortugas in recent memory. For over a week, nightly low temperatures dipped into the low 50's and sometimes even lower. While locals are scrambling for coats, gloves and space heaters, visitors from colder places in the north can still appreciate the comparatively warmer temperatures.
Both ferries that make daily trips out to the Dry Tortugas ( http://drytortugasinfo.com ) have been running on schedule even during these colder days. Passengers on board are advised to bundle up, but they have still been able to get the experience of being out on a remote island in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Guests who still want to experience the Key West snorkeling ( http://drytortugasinfo.com ) portion of the trips have been encouraged to rent wet suits. The waters off the islands has retained a high level of visibility, making the snorkeling trips quite successful.
"No one on the island can remember it being this cold for this long before," says Dry Tortugas Information Center reservations agent Daniela Martin. "But the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson trips still go out every day and everyone on board still has a great time."
The Dry Tortugas Information Center says that the Dry Tortugas trips are still fun for participants because of the friendly and attentive crew on board both ferries. The crew on board provides guests with information on the islands as well as a 45-minute guided tour of the historic Fort Jefferson ( http://drytortugasinfo.com ).
"Even with the cold weather, the Dry Tortugas trip is truly one of the best tours anywhere in Key West or the Florida Keys," adds Martin.
This week, Key West and the Dry Tortugas are starting to warm up again, with Saturday expecting highs in the mid-70's. Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson trips sell out nearly every day during the winter months due to the higher number of visitors to the island of Key West.
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