The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-06-12
Marine Wonderland At
Dry Tortugas Provides
Underwater Excitement
FROM TARPON
TO SHARKS
FOUND OFF
FIT. JEFFERSON
BY SUSAN McAvoY

Next to the IA human beings who
inhabit Fort Jefferson and the
Loggerhead Key Coast Guard sta
ton in the Dry Tortugas the fish
and the birds are of most interest.
Whether you are a member of
The Audubon Society or of the
smaller and newer group of under
water "skin divers" you viii find
the Dry Tortugas one of the most
fascinating areas in the world.
Bird lovers from all over the
nation come to the Tortugas to see
the colony of noddy and sooty terms
which fly into Bush Key in April
and stay until Labor Day, then
disappear to parts unknown for the
fall, winter season. The National
Park Service considers the birds
so important that it annually sends
down one of its men to count the
terms.
The birds make a difference to
me humans who live at Tortugas
or tie up there in their yachts
only by sound. At all hours of the
day and night you hear the cries
of the terms several hundred yards
away from Fort Jefferson.
Birds took second place in my
interest to the marine life around
Tortugas. From the dock at Fort
Jefferson you can watch the silver
tarpon jump. In the moat that sur
rounds the fort you can see group
er, parrot fish, amberjack, and
barracuda.
Then II you take a boat ride out
from Garden Key on which Fort
Jefferson is located you can see
through your glass mask anything
from giant rays to ancient ship
wrecks.
Last week we spent two days ex-
ploring underwater. Boat Captain
Joe Santini of the National Park
Service, my host, showed us where
we could see the most beautiful
staghorn coral and the most abund-
ant marine life.
] have never been a fisherman.
IN fact knew as little about fish as
about birds, but two days under
water at Dry Tortugas has given
me this feeling.
Formerly / was satisfied merely
70 look at the surface of the beau
tiful blue water Of the Keys and
the Tortugas. Now | am only happy
II can see into the water and
spot the various fish as they cruise,
Jump, roll, or streak through the
depths.
II took the trip to Tortugas to get
me over to the Key West Aquarium
where could study more calmly
the fish that darted around me al
Tortugas.
! studied particularly the three
barracuda In the open tank at the
Aquarium. They looked so much
less frightening there than when
saw two streak through the water
not far from me lasts Friday anG
Saturday at Tortugas.
Through assured by spear-fisher
man that the barracuda will no
snap at human beings larger thar
he unless you are bleeding or un
less water is murky, have 1
healthy respect for the creature.
and keep my distance.
When / saw them in Tortugai
waters, ! was so close TO them or
two different occasions that | eoulC
see their jaws working in that hun
cry fashion inimitahle to barracu
da. Yesterday at the Aquarium
could even see their saw-like teeth
The nurse shark | have also beer
assured is harmless. Yet last weel
at Tortugas when one of the meT
said Shark here." didn't wait
TO find out If he was man.eateI
or not. | headed back for the boat
Now ] learn that the Nurse shark
u perforce harmless because hg
has no teeth. Ny first sight of q
stingaree was not at Tortugas but
on my swim off the beach of Key
West. This creature too is harm.
less, they say unless you step or
him and the little dart in his Ions
tail whips you. The men spotteC
one at Tortugas Friday and asked
me If l wanted TO swim over ans
see him as he lay on the bottom,
said no and contented myself in
stead by standing in my flippers
on tiptoe on the coral rock.
j am particularly happy | did not
meet up with moray eel in my
underwater expeditions last week
They are most often found with
their ugly reptilian heads locking
out from lodges Of coral.
At the Aquarium yesterday
was shown the moray as the one
60 stay away from unders alter,
When you see him which yoa are
apt TO If you swim down under the
hedges 10 look at Jewish or eraw.
fish. you should just swim in the
other direction. the expert divers
mon, around here, is y lovely char.
treuse color. But there his beauty
- n A. thkaE aw3 ,sssses.1 s{ssssK, A.