This is the west end of Garden Key, Fort Jefferson to the left, the park's beach to the right, with the campground sheltered by the trees beyond. The water is shallow and home to spectacular coral, grasses and fish, perfect for snorkeling, especially along the moat wall. In the left corner of the fort, you can see some of the damage that time, weather and water has inflicted on the walls. To the far right is the southern coaling dock, where navy ships would come in to refuel. The moat wall, from which this photo was taken, surrounds the fort and is completely walkable (about 0.6 mile in total). The moat and wall served three purposes: it provided a layer of defense for the fort (as moats generally do), protected the fort itself from wave action and storm surge and was part of fort's sewage system. The water on the ocean side of the wall is clean; the water inside the moat, not so much. Photo by David Sedore
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