Dry Tortugas (tor-TOO-guss), island group in the Gulf of Mexico, off lower Fla. Keys, 60 mi/97 km W of Key West. Named by the Span. explorer Ponce de León in 1513, the isls. later became a pirate base. They are famous for their bird and marine life. Loggerhead Key is the largest isl. On Garden Key are Fort Jefferson Natl. Monument and a U.S. bird refuge. Accessible by boat and seaplane from Key West.
