The Wreck of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is an epic ship wreckage that has given birth to a stunning aquatic park. It is just one of one of the most preferred dives in the Caribbean. Its tragic story continues to fascinate and captivate us.


Captain Woolley selected the closest route to ocean blue with the network between Dead Upper body Island and Black Rock Point on Salt Island. As Rhone occurred to approach the factor the tail end of the typhoon tossed her onto the rocks.

The Background
During the yellow high temperature epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic passenger ships stopped consistently at Road Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to transfer travelers and freight between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had been alerted by a going down measure that a storm was coming, however thinking that the storm period 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 changed direction. The preliminary stumble captured the Rhone on her side and she wrecked versus the rocky reef. Legend has it that Captain Wooley was utilizing a silver tsp (which stays dirtied in the reefs today) to mix his cup of tea at the time. The wreck is now a prominent dive site, home to an interesting selection of aquatic life. The majority of people concur that a complete expedition of the website calls for 2 different dives, as the bow and strict sections are spread apart at different depths.

The Wreck
The Rhone rests beneath the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a well known dive site today. Visitors can check out the incredibly intact bow section, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were shot, and swim under the demanding near its big 15 foot propeller. This brimming marine park is a pointer of the delicate balance between man sailboat charter and nature.

On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to anchor the Rhone in Road Harbor, the wind and waves shifted and he decided to try to defeat the coming close to storm out right into the ocean blue. He guided the ship to Black Rock Factor in between Dead Breast and Golden-haired Rock, a pair of rocky pinnacles rising from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in 2 areas with the cold water of the inbound trend calling the hot boilers creating a surge and sinking the vessel with all 123 guests still connected to their beds.

Snorkeling
Among the most well-known wreck dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can easily discover much of the Rhone by merely drifting on a mask and breathing with the sea. The deeper bow section is particularly unspoiled, a kaleidoscope of orange mug corals reefs teeming with yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's also where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were recorded.

The strict and stomach are much more broken up, but they supply a haunting look of a previous era. Divers need to intend on a minimum of two dives to totally experience the Rhone, specifically considering that exposure can sometimes be tricky. Emphasizes include the lucky porthole, which scuba divers scrub permanently luck, and the famous bronze prop. The rusting skeletal system of the Rhone is a renowned sight in the BVI and is a must-see for any kind of diving or boating lover. The ship is open to the public for expedition, and lots of local dive boats check out daily. The Rhone is shielded by the National Park Solution, and entryway is for free.

Diving
Among the Caribbean's most renowned wreck dives, Rhone is a desirable website for its historical appeal and teeming aquatic life. It's open and fairly safe, making it ideal for divers of all experience degrees.

The story behind the wreck is heartbreaking: as she was transferring guests to one more ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and ran into it at full speed. Warm boilers wrecked against 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 check out the whole wreck, however, because the bow and strict sections are divided by regarding 100 feet of water.