Loggerhead Key -- Paradise in a Nutshell

Loggerhead was three miles in bouncy seas in a dinghy, but I would have travelled ten times that to get to this little piece of paradise.  At one point, I was sitting on the beach by myself and thinking that this is the reason we're doing this trip; to find places like this that are virtually untouched and still a bit wild.  Just behind me over the dunes was a sacred hatching ground for loggerhead turtles, the depressions in the sand as evidence of recent hatchings.

After we came ashore and set up my sun tent and left me with camera, water, and snacks, the guys headed back out to snorkel at a windjammer that had been claimed by seas and reef.  There they met up with a catamaran named Yachtsman's Dream that had been anchored next to us at the fort and asked to tie up to them.  The ten-year crusing couple on the cat was on the mooring overnight and then heading to Belize in the morning.

The guys were back after an hour or so, looking happy like they always do after a good snorkel outing.  While they were gone, I had explored that end of the island, waiting to get to the lighthouse until they returned.  I found the turtle nests over the dunes and limited by stay there, even though they were not currently in use.

We all went together to walk down the beach.  I had told them to bring their snorkel gear because there were small reefs near to shore they might want to explore.  Not knowing that the lighthouse was manned, we were pleasantly surprised to find the Fosters, a volunteer park ranger couple there working on errands.  Wash was hung out on the line to dry and the husband was just walking back from checking the fresh water cisterns in the shed.  We had a nice talk with them.  The volunteers stay at the small house there for 30 days at a time; this couple had an extensive background working and living in Alaska and their description of the waters there made us want to visit at some point. 

On the way back to the beach and our dinghy, we collected a batch of trash to take back for disposal at the Fort.  It was such a beautiful spot that we feel indebted to Nature and the Park Service for taking good care of it and we pitch in when we can.