The Straits of Florida: by Richard J. King
C
ertain bodies of warer, because of rheir geography and oceanographic character, play significanr roles in hwnan hisroiy. Consider rhe Srrairs of Gibralrar, rhe Grand Banks, and Cape Hornareas that shape our endeavors because of currenrs, winds, underwarer topography, and vicinity or access to valued land masses. From rhis perspective, few bodies of water along rhe coasts of rhe United Stares have as diverse and crucial a maritime history as the Strairs of Florida. The Srrairs of Florida is rhe body of water rhar separares Florida from the Bahamas and Cuba. 1he Florida Currenr, rhe surface ocean current rhat flows through rhe Straits, is one of rhe beginning branches of rhe Gulf Stream and is one of rhe fastesr smface ocean currenrs in rhe world. Benjamin Franklin and Captain Timorhy Folger's circa 1768 chart, rhe one usually credired wirh rhe first mapping of rhe Gulf Stream, illusrrates th e srart of rhe Stream in the norrhbound secrion of the Strairs of Florida. Besides rhe currenrs, the Srrairs of Florida has other oceanographic elemenrs rhar influence hwnan endeavor. The prevailing winds of rhe Su·airs vary by season bur are generally from rhe somheast and east, conrrary to rhe current, making rhe sea choppy and confused off rhe Florida Keys. The easterly and sourheasrerly breezes make rhe offshore shoals and reefs, from the D1y Tortugas up to Miami, a lee shore. Before navigational lighrs, this lee shore was especially dangerous because the land is low
and difficulr to see. The highesr point in the Florida Keys is jusr over 20 feer. To make the Strairs even more challenging, northerly cold fronrs can occur once or rwice a week in the winrer. These norrherlies tear up rhe sea, particularly if sailing in the northbound secrion of the Srraits where a vessel would ride the currenr into rhe wind. Tidal currents also impacr navigarion, and, if this were nor enough, the Srrairs of Florida runs directly on the rrack of Caribbean hurricanes. Three of the five deadliest hurricanes to hit tlle United Srares in rhe rwenrierh cenru1y plowed directly rhrough rhe Strairs of Florida. 1he hurricanes, the lee shores, tl1e reefs, rhe shifting shoals, the contrary winds, and the powerful currents all mix within rhis small body of water. Yet the Straits of Florida, from its westernmost D1y Tortugas to its most norrheastern cays of Little Bahama Bank, is less rhan 350 nautical miles long and averages about 70 nautical miles wide.
z
"'
Arem of Detail
•·
"'
"·.
FLOR TD Depth 0
0
Key West
~
Tortugas
EUROPEAN CONTACT
Most historians credit Spaniard Juan Ponce de Leon and his pilot Anton de Alaminos as the first documented Europeans to discover Florida and the Gulf Stream. Ponce de Leon's fleet set sail from Puerro Rico in 1513, bound to explore Bimini, then a vague name for all of the Bahamas and Florida. After landing in Florida, rhe fleet sailed sourh and "Whale Hunt offthe Florida Coast" encountered rhe Woodcut by Theodore DeBry, c. 1600. Gulf Stream. A 1601 account of tlle voyage by Antonio de H errera y Tordesillas describes rhe small fleet's interacrion with rhe Srream: "On rhe next day (11 April 15 13] rhey fo llowed rhe coastlineall three ships-and rhey encountered a current rhat rhey were unable to sail against even rhough rhey had a strong wind. The rwo ships
22
"f 0
'
b
,,,. -
nearest to the shore anchored but rhe current was so strong tl1at it made the cables quiver. The rhird ship, which was a brigantine, was farther out to sea and eirher could not find bottom or did not recognize the current. Ir was pulled our to sea and they lost sight of it, despite the fact that it was a clear day and rhe wearher was good." Eventually the rhree ships sailed around the Florida Keys, explored parr of the Gulf of Mexico, and doub led back to land ar the Dry Tortugas. They named rhe Florida Keys Los Mirrires, "The Martyrs,'' because rhe rocks looked like suffering men . Herrera's account says rhar rhe name continued to be used "for the many men who have been lost there since." Ponce de Leon had sev-
SEA HISTORY 107, SPRING/SUMMER 2004