On Thursday I visited Everglades National Park. On Friday I took off for Dry Tortugas National Park! I wore my waterproof Timberland's even though I also wore a bathing suit under my clothes. I wasn't sure what to expect when I got to the island. After all it was a little cold in Jacksonville FL when I left, I couldn't imagine that the water would be warm enough to venture into. You can only access the Dry Tortugas via boat or plane. I took the Yankee Freedom boat and I'm glad I did. My only regret was that I did not camp overnight on the island. Once I saw the "set up" for the camping, I would have fit right in with my personal tent! I plan on returning with camping gear and kayaks to visit the Dry Tortugas again. On my cruise over there was a man who told me that 15 years ago at the age of 16 he boarded a homemade raft and set sail for Miami, however a storm came and almost destroyed his raft and they were marooned on the Dry Tortugas, now he is a tax paying US Citizen! It was very touching! While at the park I decided that even though I have never snorkeled before in my life, and I do not know how to swim I was going to get a waterproof camera from the Yankee Freedom store and head out to the reef. I have not gotten my pictures from the disposable camera developed yet but when I do I will post them too. When I got back on the boat, I looked overboard while still docked and saw this guy. The park ranger said, Oh that's a harmless shark...he wouldn't hurt you." I told her that if I would have saw him while snorkeling, I would have died...because I would have had a panic attack and drowned!! *The shark was bigger than me* After snorkeling I re-boarded the Freedom, grabbed a lunch and headed for a picnic table. I saw that I still had over an hour before we were heading back to the Keys so with camera in hand I set out around the inside of the fort. In the lighthouse tower I took a series of photos that have the strangest blue light shape in them. I have seen the round "orbs" that people claim are haunting, however I get those all the time...I call them lens flares. I can not exactly explain these shapes though. In one of them you can almost envision a head, hands and feet on the blue shape! I showed them to a park ranger...he laughed and asked how long I had been in the sun! Then it was suggested that I find on Facebook someone who works in the bookstore, because he is a true believer in the haunting of Fort Jefferson!! I'll post the pictures here, and you can decide for yourself!
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