Day: August 11, 2025

• I was excited to visit Dry Tortugas National Park, a remote Florida oasis near Key West.
• I spent nearly $500 on a seaplane instead of a more affordable ferry ride — and I’m so glad I did.
• I loved getting an aerial view of the park, and I practically had the island to myself.

When my spouse and I started planning a trip to the Florida Keys, there was one activity that had to go on our itinerary: checking out Dry Tortugas National Park, which is located just 70 miles away from Key West.

A friend of mine had recently taken a day trip to the park and had only the best things to say about the experience, describing it as a remote oasis and a must-visit stop.

To get to the islands, we could take a ferry or charter a seaplane. We decided on the latter.

Round-trip plane tickets cost us $494 a person, and the flights were about 40 minutes each way. The ferry ride to the park would’ve been about half of the price, but taken about two hours each way.

All in all, the flight and day trip were a success, and we’d do both again in a heartbeat.

We arrived early, and it felt like we had the whole island to ourselves

We had the opportunity to book a half-day or full-day trip, and chose a half-day — which we found to be the perfect amount of time. We also chose a morning flight to avoid the blazing afternoon sun.

As it turned out, there was an added perk to arriving in the morning: the early flight meant there were hardly any other tourists on the island. The ferry, on the other hand, takes several hours and arrives later in the morning.

There were about 10 other people on the flight with us, and we immediately felt swept away on an adventure. We were given headsets that played beachy music (lots of Jimmy Buffett), and got to see stunning scenery from an aerial view. We even spotted some sea turtles and other marine life.

Our pilot narrated the flight. In between all the steel drums, the mic would key up whenever we flew over points of interest, like an opulent private island.

Snorkeling along the walls of Fort Jefferson was so magical — I felt like the only person there

The seaplane charter provided us with snorkeling equipment (including a mask, snorkel, fins, and flotation device) and a small cooler, so we didn’t have to worry about packing our own gear.

Once we arrived, I was stunned by the wildlife. I even saw Magnificent Frigatebirds — a bucket-list bird for me!

I felt more likely to run into the Little Mermaid than another park visitor when I started finning in the shallows. Many fish species call these waters home, and because hordes of tourists hadn’t splashed around yet that day, there was a lot to see.

A flashy pompano or permit fish surprised me with a close encounter and seemed gigantic — I was shocked, since I was only about 20 yards away from shore.

A bottom-dwelling fish with iridescent blue fins, which I’d later learn was a flying gurnard, was a peculiar highlight of my ocean explorations. The ocean floor was very sandy, and the water was clear, which made snorkeling even more fun.

Even though my transportation cost twice as much as the ferry, I have no regrets at all

My experience felt luxurious: I got a history lesson, snorkeling, and a “flightseeing” tour all in one. I’d book this trip again without hesitation.

One of the most surprising benefits, however, was getting the island to myself.

By the time the ferry docked, I’d already been at Dry Tortugas for about three hours. I was done touring the fort and had just finished snorkeling.

I was happy to board the plane and take off while the herd of people disembarked from the ferry. As the floatplane lifted off the shimmering waters, leaving the crowd behind, I felt like I’d been part of a grand scheme — just me and the fish.

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