The Wreckage of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is an epic ship wreckage that has brought to life an attractive marine park. It is just one of the most prominent dives in the Caribbean. Its tragic story continues to fascinate and captivate us.


Captain Woolley chose the closest course to open sea via the network between Dead Breast Island and Black Rock Point on Salt Island. As Rhone happened to come close to the point the tail end of the hurricane threw her onto the rocks.

The Background
During the yellow fever epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic passenger ships quit routinely at Road Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to transfer guests and freight between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had actually been warned by a going down barometer that a storm was coming, yet thinking that the hurricane period mored than, he determined to stay at Great Harbour for the transfer with an additional RMS ship, Conway.

Just as they were passing Black Rock Factor in between Salt and Dead Chest islands, the weather condition suddenly altered direction. The first stumble caught the Rhone on her side and she smashed against the rough reef. Tale has it that Captain Wooley was making use of a silver tsp (which continues to be encrusted in the coral today) to stir his cup of tea at the time. The accident is now a prominent dive website, home to a remarkable selection of marine life. Most individuals agree that a full exploration of the site needs two different dives, as the bow and demanding areas are spread out apart at various midsts.

The Wreckage
The Rhone relaxes under the cozy clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a popular dive website today. Site visitors can discover the extremely undamaged bow area, see where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were fired, and swim under the strict near its huge 15 foot prop. This teeming marine park is a pointer of the fragile equilibrium in between male and nature.

On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to secure the Rhone in Road Harbor, the wind and waves changed and he determined to attempt to defeat the coming close to storm out into the open sea. He steered the ship to Black Rock Factor between Dead Breast and Blonde Rock, a set of rocky peaks rising up from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in 2 sections with the cold water of the inbound tide speaking to the warm boilers triggering a surge and sinking the vessel with all 123 travelers still tied to their beds.

Snorkeling
Among the most well-known accident dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can conveniently check out much of the Rhone by simply drifting on a mask and breathing through the sea. The deeper bow area is especially unspoiled, a kaleidoscope of orange cup reefs teeming with yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's likewise where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were shot.

The strict and belly are extra broken up, however they supply a haunting look of a previous era. Scuba divers need to plan on at the very least two dives to fully experience the Rhone, especially since visibility can sometimes be tricky. Highlights include the fortunate porthole, which scuba divers massage forever luck, and the renowned bronze prop. The rusting skeletal system of the Rhone is a famous sight in the BVI and is a must-see for any type of diving or boating enthusiast. The ship is open to the public for exploration, and many neighborhood dive watercrafts check out daily. The Rhone is secured by the National forest Service, and entrance usvi catamaran charter is at no cost.

Diving
One of the Caribbean's most celebrated wreck dives, Rhone is a desirable website for its historic appeal and brimming marine life. It's open and reasonably secure, making it appropriate for divers of all experience levels.

The tale behind the accident is heartbreaking: as she was moving passengers to an additional ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and encountered it at full speed. Warm boilers smashed versus cold salt water and exploded, sending out the Rhone crashing right into the rocks and sinking in minutes. Just 23 of the 146 people aboard endured. Their bodies were buried on Salt Island.

The wreckage split in two when it sank, and the bow section wandered to deeper waters, while the strict worked out at concerning 80 feet. Both are engulfed in reefs and occupied by aquatic life, including colleges of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes a minimum of 2 dives to explore the whole wreck, however, since the bow and demanding areas are separated by concerning 100 feet of water.