DRY TORTUGAS

For those who love travel, here is an abbreviated version of my latest adventure.

My week of adventure began by flying into Fort Myers, FL, where I met my mom for the drive down to Key West, FL. There is nothing like a packed flight to remind yourself to never take personal space for granted. aha.

The six-hour drive flew by fast by chatting with my mom, and we were thrilled to make it to the dock before sunset. The ocean air revived our souls, as did the beer. As the sun set, our boat captain, John, picked us up on the dinghy for a quick ride to the anchored sailboat, Halia.

Now for the real adventure! Come morning, we set out to Sand Key Lighthouse, where we were fortunate enough to snorkel the most abundant reef formations and swim with nurse sharks chartering the shallows. We then sailed to Boca Grande, where we snorkeled a shipwreck home to Jerry, the Goliath Grouper. I swam through and around the shipwreck like one of the fish. As the day ended, we anchored the boat in the calm, protected bay and enjoyed dinner and a sunset.

The next day, we sailed nine hours to the Dry Tortugas. Nine hours of sailing takes it out of you… Being surrounded by nothing but water all day has a way of humbling you. I was reminded how insignificant and powerless I was compared to the ocean. Oddly enough, I loved that feeling. I felt untouchable and safe and at peace sailing through the ocean currents. A few pods of dolphins waved to us along our way. They jumped and slapped their tails, and we cheered them on while they performed. Dolphins are surprisingly interactive with our energy, which made this encounter one to remember. We even got to jump in and swim side-by-side with them before they departed. They are such amazing creatures.

We anchored Halia right before sunset and were able to give Fort Jefferson an evening tour. Fort Jefferson took 32 years to build. Its intended purpose was a military outpost, but in the three decades it took to make, weaponry had drastically changed, making The Fort of no use. Fort Jefferson was then used as a prison for a short time. A real-life Azkaban. So cool! The Fort has two stories with a rooftop of old canons going all the way around its octagon-like shape. The inside was grass and trees, framed by red brick arches everywhere. It was an architect’s garden. Fort Jefferson also doubles as a bird sanctuary. Hundreds of birds swarmed over the tiny inlet behind The Fort. The Fort made for a great sunset spot, where I watched the sun set behind nothing but the ocean’s horizon.

First thing the following morning, we snorkeled what remained of the fort’s original dock. The old steel pillars underwater made a home for a massive array of healthy coral. Little schools of fish swam under and around the dock, happy to be nestled in their haven. As the sun rose, we sailed a short distance to Logger Head Light House on Logger Key. This desolate island is without buoys to prevent the destruction of its reefs. As respectful tourists, my mom and I jumped off Halia and swam the half mile into shore, snorkeling along the way.

The key was home to a few buildings where the groundskeepers resided. On the windward side of the island, we found an old couple residing in their home away from home. I couldn’t imagine living on such a small island for months with no human interaction. It was a beautiful place regardless. The lighthouse was made of red brick with a white paint wash finish, which was slowly disappearing from wind and water erosion. After I had taken ample photos and severely worsened my sunburn, we returned to the boat to sail back to Fort Jefferson before sunset.

Once we arrived, I dove around the shallows of the fort and retrieved any amiss bricks in the sand. I swam them to shore and stacked them like a mini Fort Jefferson. I loved making something new out of something broken. Reminder: You are never too young to play.

For sunset, my mother and I took to the hammock, enjoying music and laughing about the most insignificant things. You know those moments where you know you won’t ever forget what you had with someone? That was one of them for me. Truly grateful for that.

The next morning, we sailed to Marqueses. This consisted of a small group of islands formed by a meteorite hitting the earth hundreds of years ago. The islands formed in a circle, which made a protected bay inside, sheltering small fish, birds, and tons of hermit crabs. A desolate place. There were ice-cold springs draining into the ocean from the islands, so when walking right on the shore, your feet were refreshed by ice-cold water amidst the heat of the day. All I could hear were the pelican’s wings ruffling as they changed positions in the water. The space was so empty the sounds of the birds seemed to echo.

The next day, Halia took us out of the Dry Tortugas and back to the Florida Barrier Reef where we snorkeled the Western Dry Rocks. I had never seen more barracudas in my life! I also saw the largest angel fish I had ever seen, gently exploring the beautiful canals and caves the reef formations had made here. After a few front flips off the front of the boat, we sailed back to Key West. I rode out those last few hours on the water sitting above the anchor. I felt comforted by the water washing my feet and the sun reflecting on me. A bittersweet afternoon to say the least. As excited as I was to return to the city and its magical plumbing and restaurants, I felt empty. I was leaving behind an entirely different life that people choose to live. It reminded me that we can live any life we want to. It’s never too late.

LOVE

PERSPECTIVE