... Beautiful views of the most unique and remote national park in the country... one of the smallest by land area... only accessible by boat or seaplane... a hidden gem full of history and beauty.... the area is known for its richness in migrating land birds and vast seabird colonies... spectacular coral reefs filled with aquatic life... due to its unique location along migratory routes and the pristine habitat, it is a bird watchers dream... today the Park is the most active turtle nesting site in Florida... here you can find Loggerhead, Hawksbill, Leatherback, Kemp’s Ridley and Green Sea Turtles... but years of hunting have taken their toll, and these once abundant turtles are now all on the Endangered Species List... also the 19thC Fort Jefferson, one of the largest coastal forts every built, is a central feature... nicknamed "the Gibraltar of the Gulf" the fort is held together by more than 16 million bricks... this makes it the America's largest masonry structure in existence... it was never fully completed and never fired upon... during the Civil War, Fort Jefferson served as a Union military prison... also this time with unique "Dry Tortugas" special National Parks stamp cancellation👍💙... Big Thanks Andrene! (✿ ♥‿♥)
The Dry Tortugas is a group of seven small islands located 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico.The park was established as a National Park in 1992 and lies at the farthest end of the Florida Keys, closer to Cuba than to the American mainland. It cover a total area of 64,700 acres.
It was originally named “Las Tortugas” (the Spanish word for turtle or tortoise) by Ponce De Leon in 1513 for the amount of sea turtles in the area.
The term 'Dry' in Dry Tortugas is used to refer to the Island's lack of surface fresh water. Dry Tortugas National Park is comprised of 99% water. The remaining 1% is made up of seven major islands and 104 acres of land in total.
Ⓒ Lantern Press
Stamp:
Holiday Stamp - Poinsettia
(Issued 26-08-2018)
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