Fort Jefferson / The Dry Tortugas

Fort Jefferson is a six-sided structure constructed of 16 million handmade red bricks. It was built in the early 1800's to help protect the southern coastline of the United States and commerce heading to and from the Mississippi. In 1888 the Army turned the fort over to the Marine Hospital Service to be operated as a quarantine station, and in 1935 it was designated a National Monument. It lies 70 miles west of Key West and is only accessible from seaplane or boat.

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Islands In The Keys

Tortuga Islands

Mel Fisher's Shipwreck

Mel Fisher was a treasure hunter. His greatest find was the Spanish Galleon, Nuestra Señora De Atocha. The estimated $450 million cache he recovered, known as "The Atocha Motherlode," included 40 tons of gold and silver.