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


Captain Woolley went with the closest course to ocean blue with the channel between Dead Upper body Island and Black Rock Factor on Salt Island. As Rhone came around to approach the factor the tail end of the storm threw her onto the rocks.

The Background
Throughout the yellow fever epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic traveler ships stopped routinely at Road Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to transfer guests and freight in between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had actually been cautioned by a dropping barometer that a tornado was coming, yet thinking that the cyclone season was over, he decided 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 Upper body islands, the climate unexpectedly altered direction. The initial stumble captured the Rhone on her side and she shattered against the rocky coral reef. Tale has it that Captain Wooley was utilizing a silver teaspoon (which continues to be dirtied in the coral reefs today) to stir his cup of tea at the time. The wreckage is currently a prominent dive site, home to a remarkable variety of marine life. The majority of people agree that a complete expedition of the site requires 2 different dives, as the bow and stern sections are spread out apart at different depths.

The Wreckage
The Rhone relaxes below the cozy clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a popular dive site today. Visitors can discover the incredibly intact bow area, see where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were shot, and swim under the stern near its huge 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 shifted and he determined to attempt to beat the coming close to storm out right into the open sea. He guided the ship to Black Rock Point between Dead Upper Body and Golden-haired Rock, a set of rough pinnacles rising from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in two sections with the cold water of the inbound tide speaking to the warm boilers creating an explosion and sinking the vessel with all 123 guests still connected to their beds.

Snorkeling
One of one of the most well-known wreck dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can quickly explore much of the Rhone by merely floating on a mask and breathing via the sea. The much deeper bow section is specifically well-preserved, a kaleidoscope of orange mug corals reefs including yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's likewise where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were recorded.

The stern and waistline are much more separated, however they offer a haunting look of a past period. Divers need to plan on at the very least two dives to totally experience the Rhone, particularly given that exposure can sometimes be difficult. Highlights consist of the lucky porthole, which divers massage completely luck, and the famous bronze propeller. The rusting skeletal system of the Rhone is a renowned view in the BVI and is a must-see for all inclusive yacht charter us virgin islands any type of diving or boating fanatic. The ship is open to the public for expedition, and numerous neighborhood dive boats check out daily. The Rhone is protected by the National forest Solution, and entryway is free of charge.

Diving
One of the Caribbean's most popular accident dives, Rhone is a desirable site for its historic attraction and brimming aquatic life. It's open and relatively risk-free, making it suitable for divers of all experience degrees.

The story behind the accident is unfortunate: as she was transferring guests to an additional ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and ran into it at full speed. Hot central heating boilers smashed against cool seawater and blew up, sending out the Rhone crashing into the rocks and sinking in mins. Only 23 of the 146 people aboard endured. Their bodies were buried on Salt Island.

The accident split in two when it sank, and the bow area wandered to deeper waters, while the demanding resolved at about 80 feet. Both are swallowed up in reefs and occupied by aquatic life, consisting of schools of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes a minimum of 2 dives to explore the entire accident, however, since the bow and demanding areas are divided by about 100 feet of water.