The Wreckage of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is a fabulous ship accident that has brought to life a beautiful aquatic park. It is among the most preferred dives in the Caribbean. Its unfortunate tale continues to captivate and astound us.


Captain Woolley selected the closest course to open sea with the channel between Dead Chest Island and Black Rock Point on Salt Island. As Rhone occurred to approach the point the tail end of the cyclone threw her onto the rocks.

The History
During the yellow high temperature epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic guest ships quit consistently at Road Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to move passengers and freight in between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had been cautioned by a going down measure that a tornado was coming, but believing that the hurricane season mored than, he determined to remain at Great Harbour for the transfer with another RMS ship, Conway.

Just as they were passing Black Rock Factor between Salt and Dead Chest islands, the weather condition unexpectedly transformed direction. The preliminary stumble captured the Rhone on her side and she smashed against the rocky reef. Legend has it that Captain Wooley was utilizing a silver tsp (which remains dirtied in the coral reefs today) to stir his cup of tea at the time. The wreck is now a preferred dive site, home to a remarkable selection of aquatic life. Lots of people concur that a full exploration of the site needs 2 different dives, as the bow and demanding areas are spread out apart at various midsts.

The Accident
The Rhone rests below the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a renowned dive website today. Site visitors can discover the extremely undamaged bow area, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were shot, and swim under the strict near its large 15 foot prop. This bristling aquatic park is a reminder of the delicate equilibrium in between guy 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 determined to attempt to defeat the approaching storm out into the ocean blue. He guided the ship to Black Rock Factor between Dead Chest and Blonde Rock, a set of rough pinnacles penny jo sailing charters rising up from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in 2 areas with the cold water of the inbound tide contacting the warm central heating boilers triggering an explosion and sinking the vessel with all 123 passengers still tied to their beds.

Snorkeling
Among one of the most well-known wreck dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can easily discover much of the Rhone by just floating on a mask and breathing through the sea. The much deeper bow area is especially well-preserved, a kaleidoscope of orange mug corals reefs teeming with yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's additionally where scenes from the 1977 flick The Deep were recorded.

The demanding and midsection are more separated, however they offer a haunting glance of a previous age. Divers need to plan on at least 2 dives to totally experience the Rhone, specifically because visibility can in some cases be challenging. Emphasizes include the fortunate porthole, which scuba divers rub 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 diving or boating fanatic. The ship is open to the general public for exploration, and several regional dive watercrafts check out daily. The Rhone is protected by the National forest Service, and entry is cost free.

Diving
Among the Caribbean's most well known wreckage dives, Rhone is a desirable site for its historical allure and bristling marine life. It's open and relatively secure, making it suitable for scuba divers of all experience degrees.

The story behind the accident is tragic: 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 cool salt water and took off, sending the Rhone crashing right into the rocks and sinking in mins. Just 23 of the 146 individuals aboard endured. Their bodies were buried on Salt Island.

The accident split in two when it sank, and the bow area wandered to much deeper waters, while the strict resolved at regarding 80 feet. Both are engulfed in coral and lived in by aquatic life, consisting of institutions of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes at the very least two dives to discover the whole accident, however, given that the bow and demanding sections are separated by about 100 feet of water.