The Wreck of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is a fabulous ship wreck that has actually brought to life a stunning aquatic park. It is one of one of the most preferred dives in the Caribbean. Its terrible tale remains to captivate and astound us.


Captain Woolley selected the closest path to ocean blue with the channel between Dead Chest Island and Black Rock Point 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 passengers and freight in between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had actually been alerted by a dropping barometer that a storm was coming, yet thinking that the cyclone season was over, he decided to stay at Great Harbour for the transfer with an additional RMS ship, Conway.

Equally as they were passing Black Rock Factor between Salt and Dead Chest islands, the weather instantly transformed instructions. The preliminary lurch caught the Rhone on her side and she wrecked versus the rocky reef. Tale has it that Captain Wooley was making use of a silver tsp (which stays encrusted in the reefs today) to mix his cup of tea at the time. The wreck is now a preferred dive website, home to an interesting array of aquatic life. Most individuals concur that a full exploration of the website needs two separate dives, as the bow and strict areas are spread apart at various midsts.

The Wreck
The Rhone rests under the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a well known dive site today. Site visitors can check out the remarkably undamaged bow section, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were fired, and swim under the demanding near its large 15 foot prop. This bursting marine park is a reminder of the fragile balance between male and nature.

On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to anchor the Rhone in Road Harbor, the wind and waves changed and he made a decision to try to defeat the approaching storm out into the ocean blue. He steered the ship to Black Rock Factor in between Dead Chest and Blond Rock, a pair of rocky peaks rising up from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in 2 areas with the cold sail british virgin islands water of the incoming trend getting in touch with the hot central heating boilers triggering a surge and sinking the vessel with all 123 travelers still tied to their beds.

Snorkeling
Among the most famous accident dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can easily discover much of the Rhone by just drifting on a mask and breathing with the sea. The deeper bow area is particularly unspoiled, a kaleidoscope of orange cup corals including yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's also where scenes from the 1977 flick The Deep were filmed.

The strict and belly are more separated, but they use a haunting peek of a previous age. Scuba divers ought to intend on a minimum of 2 dives to completely experience the Rhone, especially considering that visibility can often be challenging. Emphasizes include the fortunate porthole, which divers scrub for good luck, and the renowned bronze propeller. The rusting skeletal system of the Rhone is an iconic view in the BVI and is a must-see for any diving or boating lover. The ship is open to the public for exploration, and many regional dive watercrafts go to daily. The Rhone is shielded by the National Park Solution, and entrance is absolutely free.

Diving
One of the Caribbean's most renowned wreck dives, Rhone is a desired website for its historical attraction and teeming aquatic life. It's open and reasonably risk-free, making it ideal for divers of all experience levels.

The tale behind the wreck is heartbreaking: as she was transferring travelers to an additional ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and faced it at full speed. Hot central heating boilers wrecked against chilly salt water and exploded, sending out the Rhone collapsing into the rocks and sinking in minutes. Just 23 of the 146 people aboard made it through. Their bodies were hidden on Salt Island.

The wreck split in two when it sank, and the bow section wandered to much deeper waters, while the stern cleared up at concerning 80 feet. Both are engulfed in coral reefs and inhabited by marine life, consisting of colleges of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes at least two dives to discover the entire accident, however, given that the bow and stern sections are divided by concerning 100 feet of water.