Q 01/05

The Dry Tortugas lie in which body of water, about 70 miles west of Key West?

A) Gulf of Mexico

B) Caribbean Sea

C) Atlantic Ocean

D) Sargasso Sea

Answer · why

A) Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico: the islands sit at its gateway beside one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, which is why the Army chose their harbour for a giant...

Q 02/05

Apart from boats, what is the only way for visitors to reach Dry Tortugas National Park?

A) Seaplane

B) Helicopter

C) Road causeway

D) Private jet

Answer · why

A) Seaplane

Seaplane: the islands have no runway and no road, so the planes from Key West touch down on the water and moor beside the fort.

Q 03/05

Roughly how many bricks went into the walls of Fort Jefferson?

A) About 160,000

B) About 1.6 million

C) About 16 million

D) About 160 million

Answer · why

C) About 16 million

About 16 million bricks, laid around a core of coral concrete, went into the fort, and their weight has been pressing the walls unevenly down into the...

Q 04/05

Which explorer, the first European known to reach the Dry Tortugas, gave the islands their name in 1513?

A) Hernando de Soto

B) Pedro Menéndez de Avilés

C) Christopher Columbus

D) Juan Ponce de León

Answer · why

D) Juan Ponce de León

Juan Ponce de León called them Las Tortugas, 'the turtles', for the sea turtles his crew found there, only weeks after he had landed in Florida and na...

Q 05/05

Why are the Dry Tortugas called 'Dry'?

A) Little else nearby is dry land

B) They have no surface fresh water

C) Their reefs dry at low tide

D) Their turtles were all hunted out

Answer · why

B) They have no surface fresh water

They have no surface fresh water: chart-makers added the word to warn passing crews not to count on refilling their casks, and visitors still have to ...