Seaplane, Fort Jefferson, and Dry Tortugas

As we planned our first trip to the Florida Keys, the pre-planned activity I was most looking forward to was visiting Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park via seaplane.

In a weeklong trip that saw numerous pre-planned snorkeling charters cancelled due to too much wind, I was pleased that we were able to participate in this most anticipated outing.

Our originally scheduled seaplane flight to Dry Tortugas was scheduled for a Monday morning, but we received a call the day before asking if we could move to the noon departure, which was fine with us and made it less rushed to travel from our rented house in Islamorada to Key West.

One thing I liked about the later time is that we got 15-20 minutes at Fort Jefferson virtually to ourselves (our party of six and the family of four from Atlanta that was on our seaplane flight) after the ferry loaded up and left for the return to Key West. This photograph shows the dock sans a ferry ship toward the end of our time at Fort Jefferson.

Besides having the beaches almost exclusively to ourselves (there was one other family camping there as well), it was also interesting to have access to the restrooms on the island that were only opened after the ferry departed (visitors are supposed to use the ferry's restroom facilities while it's docked).

We arrived in Key West earlier than anticipated and wanted to use that time to climb the Keywest Lighthouse for a view of Key West. We were disappointed to learn that it was closed due to COVID-19, but we ended up getting outstanding views of Key West from the seaplane and enjoyed key lime pie from Key West's Key Lime Pie Company in the extra time we had.

The seaplane departs Key West International Airport and there is a small number of available parking spaces for complimentary parking. Our party of six joined the other family of four to fill the capacity for passengers. It was nice to not have security lines and long waits. After filling out minimal paperwork and grabbing netted bags of snorkel gear provided as part of the seaplane fare, we boarded the seaplane and quickly took off from the tarmac.

I had been concerned about the turbulence on a small plane, but this was one of the most gentle airplane rides I've ever experienced.

I've certainly experienced far worse turbulence on commercial flights, especially when flying over the Rocky Mountains leaving or arriving in Denver. Needless to say, the views were fanstastic!

We wore large ear-covering headphones throughout the flight and there was interesting information provided by the pilot directly intermixed with pre-recorded information and details.

The seaplane ride is an intimate experience with the pilot and ten passengers total.

There are small outlets on the plane's windows that bring in fresh air during the flight.

Riding a seaplane to Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas creates an experience in which getting to the destination is almost as much fun as being at the destination. That's a rarity in travel! I typically dread airports and cramped flights, but this was much more fun and rewarding than typical commercial flights.

Even the water landing was gentle, though the pilot told me afterward that it can be rougher when the water's rougher.

Here is the view as you step off the seaplane at Fort Jefferson:

The massive Fort Jefferson was never completed.

We were too excited to snorkel the beautiful clear water around Fort Jefferson to take the fort's tour, but we did walk inside it and around it for a bit.

There is also a stairwell providing easy access to the top of the fort wall that provided an excellent overview of the main visitors' part of the island (where the ferry docked, the campground, the restrooms, etc.).

Dry Tortugas features stunning beaches rivaling many in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, but being more secluded than many of those.

Our primary reason for going to Dry Tortugas was the snorkeling and that did not disappoint. One interesting snorkeling location was along the wall near the South Swim Beach (download map).

My favorite snorkeling location was the south coaling dock ruins directly in front of Fort Jefferson (download map).

We had this excellent snorkeling area to ourselves as the ferry loaded and started back to Key West!

Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas provides a special combination of natural beauty and historical significance. It's no wonder I've seen it listed on so-many "must visit" national parks listings.

Taking off from the water on an airplane was a new experience for me and I loved it.

All passengers sat in the same seats they were in before and so now were able to get a better view of the side of the plane they did not see as well on the trip the other direction.

The pilot shared more details about the Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas, and Key West on the way back to Key West. He pointed out that even though we left the island well after the ferry ship, we quickly were flying over it and it still had hours to go until it would arrive at Key West.

Reasons to Visit Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson

Since traveling to the Florida Keys and experiencing Dry Tortugas, I have seen many online articles and posts extolling the virtues of this park. Here are some of them with quotations from each:

• Dry Tortugas National Park Is 99% Underwater - and That's Exactly Why It's a Must-visit
  • "But a national park that’s 99% underwater, located 70 miles from civilization, and accessible only by seaplane or boat? That’s next-level traveling, perfectly suited to the times."
  • "There's also no cell coverage, internet access, or Wi-Fi in Dry Tortugas National Park, so in other words, be ready for a totally off-the-grid adventure."
• 5 Under-the-Radar National Parks Worth Exploring
  • "The archipelago was once a hot spot for swashbuckling pirates and buried treasure, but today's Dry Tortugas National Park is a hidden gem unto itself."
• 11 Lesser-Known National Parks You Probably Haven't Visited Yet
  • "Part of this park's allure is that it's difficult to visit. In fact, you can only arrive by boat or seaplane from the Florida Keys. But once you arrive, you'll have access to incredible snorkeling in one of the world's largest barrier reefs.">
• 3 Best Day Trips from Key West: Islamorada, Dry Tortugas, & Key Largo
  • "This destination is for history lovers and outdoorsy types (but it's okay if your idea of 'outdoorsy' is laying on the beach all day)."
• 11 incredible National Parks to visit this summer
  • "Think Florida ends where the road stops? Nope! Nearly 70 miles west of Key West is Dry Tortugas National Park, 100 square miles of islands and sea. The road actually does end in Key West, so the only way to get there is by boat or seaplane."
• 10 Unique U.S. National Parks That Will Make You Feel Like You're on Another Planet
  • "Even though it's one of the least-visited national parks in the country, it's definitely one of the best national parks in Florida. There’s no accounting for Dry Tortugas National Park’s stunning beauty. "
• 6 Reasons Why Florida's Dry Tortugas Should Be On Your Bucket List
  • "The Tortugas are possibly the most remote islands you can visit and still be in the United States."
• Makes numerous lists of best snorkeling and best activities in the Florida Keys:
  • Betsi's World: Top Snorkeling Spots in the Florida Keys
  • Traveler's Guide to Best Snorkeling in Florida Keys
  • 11 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in the Florida Keys
  • Florida Keys Bucket List: Amazing Places to Visit in the Florida Keys

Boat or Seaplane?

One can only reach Dry Tortugas by boat or by seaplane. Although private boats are a possibility, Dry Tortugas is far enough from Key West to make this trip one in which most people will want to take the larger ferry ship if going by boat.

The primary means of transportation most tourits will take to get to Dry Tortugas from Key West is the Yankee Freedom III (2012). This ship is designed to carry as many as 250 passengers, but the operators limit tours to 175 passengers (it was even fewer than that when we traveled in July during COVID-19). Check the itinerary before booking, but it typically follow this schedule: the ferry boards in Key West at 7:30 am (check-in at 7 am), departs Key West at 8 am, arrives at Fort Jefferson 2.25 hours later (10:15 am), departs Fort Jefferson at 3 pm, and arrives back at Key West at 5:15 pm. Although the long ferry ride does not appeal to me particularly, I've read many positive reviews from people who have used the ferry.

Yankee Freedom III "departs from the Key West Ferry Terminal, 100 Grinnell Street, in the Historic Seaport," and they recommend parking in the "City Parking Garage on Grinnell Street, across the corner from the Ferry Terminal." The site currently points out that "the garage provides shaded parking for $32/day" and that "there is no free parking available in Key West."

The next most common means of transporation from Key West to Dry Tortugas is the Seaplane To Dry Tortugas. As described in this post, the seaplane departs Keywest International Airport and limited but complimentary parking is provided. There is very little "check-in" time required (probably less than the ferry requires with so many more passengers!) and the plane ride itself is approximately 40 minutes each direction for the half-day excursion (allowing over 2.5 hours on the island and 4 hours overall for the excursion). There is also a full-day excursion that allows 6.5 hours on the island (8 hours overall) if you want more time at Fort Jefferson.

The seaplane ride is obviously more expensive than the ferry, but the difference in price between the ferry and the half-day seaplane excursion was not as great as I expected. At the time of our booking, the price for each of our six adults was $361 per adult for the seaplane (half-day) or $185 per adult for the ferry, making the seaplane not quite twice as expensive per adult as the ferry. However, it is important to note that parking is free for the seaplane and can be pricey for the ferry. You do have to pay for the national park admission on the seaplane if you don't have a national park pass.

Although the seaplane was more expensive than the ferry, we made our decision which to take based on whether the benefits provided by the seaplane justified the difference in cost to us. For us, the difference in cost was justified, both before and after taking the trip. None of us had flown on a seaplane before and that experience was worth a lot to us. In addition, being able to get to the island and back so quickly and being able to get a birds-eye view of Key West and Dry Tortugas were worth extra expense. The biggest downside to the half-day excursion is that it'd have been nice to have a bit more time on the island, but the full-day seaplane excursion is far more expensive ($634 per adult at time of this writing). There is an opportunity cost to being on a ferry for over 2 hours each direction and that opportunity cost, coupled with the other advantages associated with the seaplane, made us feel the seaplane was the best way for us to get to Dry Tortugas.

Conclusion

We had really high expectations for our seaplane excursion to Fort Jefferson and Dry Tortugas and the experiences met those lofty expectations. Dry Tortugas is a special place with beauty, history, and a "remote" feel to it. Getting there and back on the seaplane made the overall experience even more memorable.