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


Captain Woolley opted for the closest route to open sea via the network between Dead Breast Island and Black Rock Factor on Salt Island. As Rhone occurred to approach the point the tail end of the storm tossed her onto the rocks.

The History
During the yellow high temperature epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic guest ships stopped on a regular basis at Roadway 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 cautioned by a going down barometer that a storm was coming, yet believing 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 transformed direction. The initial lurch caught the Rhone on her side and she shattered versus the rough coral reef. Legend has it that Captain Wooley was using a silver tsp (which continues to be encrusted in the coral reefs today) to mix his cup of tea at the time. The accident is currently a preferred dive website, home to a remarkable array of marine life. The majority of people concur that a complete expedition of the website calls for 2 different dives, as the bow and strict areas are spread out apart at various midsts.

The Wreck
The Rhone rests beneath the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a well known dive site today. Visitors can explore the remarkably 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 male 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 guided the ship to Black Rock Factor between Dead Chest and Blonde Rock, a pair of rocky peaks rising from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in 2 areas with the cold water of the inbound tide getting in touch with the hot boilers causing a surge and sinking the vessel with all 123 guests still linked to their beds.

Snorkeling
Among one of the most well-known wreck dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can easily explore much of the Rhone by merely drifting yacht charter service on a mask and breathing with the sea. The deeper bow section is particularly well-preserved, a kaleidoscope of orange mug reefs including yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's likewise where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were filmed.

The strict and stomach are a lot more broken up, but they supply a haunting glance of a previous age. Divers should intend on at the very least 2 dives to fully experience the Rhone, especially given that presence can often be challenging. Highlights consist of the fortunate porthole, which divers massage forever luck, and the popular bronze propeller. The rusting skeleton of the Rhone is a legendary view in the BVI and is a must-see for any type of diving or boating enthusiast. The ship is open to the general public for expedition, and numerous local dive watercrafts go to daily. The Rhone is protected by the National forest Solution, and entrance is free of charge.

Diving
Among the Caribbean's most well known wreck dives, Rhone is a desirable site for its historic appeal and teeming aquatic life. It's open and fairly secure, making it appropriate for divers of all experience degrees.

The story behind the wreck is unfortunate: as she was transferring passengers to an additional ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and encountered it at full speed. Warm boilers wrecked 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 hidden on Salt Island.

The wreck split in two when it sank, and the bow area wandered to deeper waters, while the stern cleared up at about 80 feet. Both are swallowed up in coral and populated by marine life, consisting of schools of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes at the very least two dives to check out the entire accident, however, because the bow and strict sections are divided by about 100 feet of water.