The Wreck of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is a famous ship wreck that has brought to life a beautiful aquatic park. It is just one of one of the most prominent dives in the Caribbean. Its terrible story remains to interest and mesmerize us.


Captain Woolley chose the closest path to ocean blue through the channel in between Dead Upper body Island and Black Rock Point on Salt Island. As Rhone happened to come close to the point the tail end of the typhoon threw her onto the rocks.

The Background
During the yellow fever epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic traveler ships quit routinely at Road Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to move guests and cargo between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had been alerted by a going down barometer that a storm was coming, however thinking that the storm season was over, he chose to remain at Great Harbour for the transfer with an additional RMS ship, Conway.

Equally as they were passing Black Rock Point between Salt and Dead Breast islands, the weather condition instantly changed direction. The initial lurch captured the Rhone on her side and she shattered versus the rough coral reef. Legend has it that Captain Wooley was using a silver teaspoon (which stays encrusted in the coral reefs today) to mix his favorite at the time. The wreckage is currently a preferred dive site, home to a fascinating range of marine life. Lots of people concur that a complete expedition of the website calls for 2 different dives, as the bow and stern sections are spread apart at different depths.

The Wreck
The Rhone rests beneath the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a well known dive site today. Visitors can check out the incredibly intact bow section, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were shot, and swim under the stern near its large 15 foot propeller. This teeming marine park is a reminder of the delicate balance between man and nature.

On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to secure the Rhone in Roadway Harbor, the wind and waves changed and he determined to attempt to defeat the coming close to storm out right into the open sea. He steered the ship to Black Rock Point between Dead Chest and Blonde Rock, a pair of rough peaks rising from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in 2 sections with the cold water of the incoming tide contacting the hot central heating boilers creating a surge and sinking the vessel with all 123 travelers still connected to their beds.

Snorkeling
One of the most famous wreck dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can conveniently discover much of the Rhone by merely drifting on a mask and breathing with the sea. The deeper bow area is specifically unspoiled, a kaleidoscope of orange mug corals reefs teeming with yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's also where scenes from the 1977 flick The Deep were recorded.

The demanding and belly are more broken up, yet they use a haunting peek of a past era. Scuba divers must plan on at least 2 dives to totally experience the Rhone, particularly because visibility can occasionally be difficult. Highlights include the fortunate porthole, which scuba divers rub for good luck, and the renowned bronze propeller. The rusting skeleton of the Rhone is a legendary view in the BVI and is a must-see for any diving or boating enthusiast. The ship is open to the general public for exploration, and many neighborhood dive boats visit daily. The Rhone is shielded by the National forest Service, and entry is absolutely free.

Diving
One of the Caribbean's most popular accident dives, Rhone is a sought after website for its historic allure and bristling marine life. It's open and relatively risk-free, making it suitable for scuba divers of all experience levels.

The tale behind the accident is awful: as she was transferring guests to an additional ship, Conway, at Roadway Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Point and faced it at full speed. Hot central heating boilers shattered against chilly seawater and took off, sending the Rhone collapsing into the rocks and sinking in mins. Only 23 of the 146 individuals aboard survived. Their bodies were hidden on Salt all inclusive yacht charter Island.

The accident split in two when it sank, and the bow area drifted to much deeper waters, while the demanding resolved at regarding 80 feet. Both are swallowed up in coral reefs and lived in by marine life, consisting of institutions of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes at the very least two dives to discover the entire wreckage, though, given that the bow and stern areas are separated by regarding 100 feet of water.