How did Dry Tortugas National Park get its name?

The small Florida archipelago known as Dry Tortugas National Park initially was called "Las Tortugas" by the Spanish conquistador Ponce DeLeon. "Tortugas" means "turtles" in Spanish, and the islands were so named due to the abundance of turtles in the area. The "dry" part of the name comes from the fact that there is no fresh water to be found on the small bits of dry land in the area.

Native turtle species still thrive in the Dry Tortugas area. Visitors may see a wide variety of sea turtles, including loggerhead, leatherback, hawksbill and green turtles. Other marine life in the area include soft and stony corals as well as a large variety of reef fish.