The Wreck of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is a fabulous ship wreck that has brought to life a beautiful marine park. It is just one of the most popular dives in the Caribbean. Its heartbreaking story continues to attract and captivate us.


Captain Woolley opted for the closest route to open sea via the network in between Dead Upper body Island and Black Rock Factor on Salt Island. As Rhone happened to come close to the point the tail end of the typhoon tossed her onto the rocks.

The History
Throughout the yellow high temperature epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic guest ships quit consistently at Roadway Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to move guests and freight in between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had actually been alerted by a going down barometer that a tornado was coming, however believing that the hurricane season mored than, he determined to remain at Great Harbour for the transfer with one more RMS ship, Conway.

Just as they were passing Black Rock Point between Salt and Dead Upper body islands, the climate unexpectedly altered direction. The initial stumble captured the Rhone on her side and she shattered against the rocky reef. Legend has it that Captain Wooley was using a silver teaspoon (which continues to be dirtied in the coral reefs today) to stir his cup of tea at the time. The wreck is currently a preferred dive website, home to an interesting variety of marine life. Many people concur that a complete expedition of the site requires 2 different dives, as the bow and demanding sections are spread out apart at various depths.

The Wreck
The Rhone rests under the cozy clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a well known dive site today. Site visitors can check out the remarkably undamaged bow area, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were shot, and swim under the strict near its big 15 foot propeller. This teeming aquatic park is a tip of the delicate equilibrium in between man and nature.

On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to secure the Rhone in Roadway Harbor, the wind and waves moved and he decided to attempt to beat the approaching storm out right into the open sea. He steered the ship to Black Rock Factor in between Dead Chest and Blond Rock, a set of rocky peaks rising from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in two areas with the cold water of the inbound tide speaking to the warm boilers creating an explosion and sinking the vessel with all 123 passengers still linked to their beds.

Snorkeling
One of the most popular accident dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can easily discover much of the Rhone by just drifting on a mask and breathing via the sea. The much deeper bow section is particularly unspoiled, a kaleidoscope of orange cup corals including yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's likewise where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were recorded.

The stern and waistline are a lot more broken up, yet they provide a haunting glance of a past period. Scuba divers ought to plan on a minimum of two dives to completely experience the Rhone, especially considering that visibility can occasionally be challenging. Emphasizes include the fortunate porthole, which divers massage permanently luck, and the renowned bronze propeller. The rusting skeletal system of the Rhone is a famous view in the BVI and is a must-see for any type of diving or boating enthusiast. The ship is open to the public for expedition, and numerous neighborhood dive watercrafts visit daily. The Rhone is secured by the National Park Solution, and entrance is absolutely free.

Diving
One of the Caribbean's most popular wreck dives, Rhone is a coveted website for its historic appeal and bristling marine life. It's open and fairly safe, making it appropriate for scuba yacht rentals divers of all experience levels.

The tale behind the wreck is awful: as she was moving passengers to an additional ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Point and ran into it at full speed. Hot central heating boilers smashed against cool seawater and took off, sending the Rhone crashing right into the rocks and sinking in minutes. Only 23 of the 146 individuals aboard survived. Their bodies were hidden on Salt Island.

The wreckage split in two when it sank, and the bow section wandered to much deeper waters, while the stern cleared up at about 80 feet. Both are engulfed in reefs and inhabited by marine life, consisting of schools of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes a minimum of 2 dives to discover the entire accident, however, because the bow and stern areas are divided by about 100 feet of water.