The Accident of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is a legendary ship wreck that has given birth to a stunning marine park. It is among the most popular dives in the Caribbean. Its tragic story continues to amaze and captivate us.


Captain Woolley chose the closest route to open sea via the network between Dead Chest Island and Black Rock Factor on Salt Island. As Rhone occurred to approach the point the tail end of the cyclone threw her onto the rocks.

The Background
During the yellow high temperature epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic guest ships stopped on a regular basis at Road Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to transfer travelers and freight in between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had been cautioned by a going down measure that a storm was coming, however thinking that the cyclone season mored than, he determined to stay at Great Harbour for the transfer with one more RMS ship, Conway.

Just as they were passing Black Rock Factor in between Salt and Dead Chest islands, the weather condition unexpectedly changed direction. The preliminary stumble captured the Rhone on her side and she smashed versus the rough coral reef. Legend has it that Captain Wooley was utilizing a silver teaspoon (which stays dirtied in the coral today) to stir his cup of tea at the time. The wreckage is currently a prominent dive website, home to a remarkable array of marine life. Most individuals agree that a complete expedition of the website calls for two separate dives, as the bow and demanding areas are spread out apart at different depths.

The Wreckage
The Rhone relaxes under the cozy clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a celebrated dive website today. Site visitors can discover the extremely undamaged bow area, see where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were fired, and swim under the stern near its large 15 foot propeller. This bursting aquatic park is a suggestion of the fragile equilibrium in between male 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 chose to try to beat the approaching storm out into the ocean blue. He guided the ship to Black Rock Factor between Dead Upper Body and Blond Rock, a set of rocky pinnacles rising up from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in two areas with the cold water of the inbound trend calling the warm boilers causing an explosion and yacht rentals sinking the vessel with all 123 guests still linked to their beds.

Snorkeling
Among one of the most popular accident dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can quickly check out much of the Rhone by simply floating on a mask and breathing via the sea. The much deeper bow section is especially well-preserved, a kaleidoscope of orange mug corals reefs including yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's likewise where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were shot.

The stern and belly are more separated, yet they use a haunting glance of a previous age. Divers ought to plan on at the very least 2 dives to completely experience the Rhone, particularly since exposure can often be challenging. Highlights consist of the fortunate porthole, which divers rub completely luck, and the well-known bronze propeller. The rusting skeletal system of the Rhone is an iconic view in the BVI and is a must-see for any type of diving or boating fanatic. The ship is open to the general public for expedition, and numerous local dive watercrafts check out daily. The Rhone is safeguarded by the National Park Solution, and entryway is free of charge.

Diving
Among the Caribbean's most well known wreck dives, Rhone is a desirable website for its historical allure and bristling marine life. It's open and reasonably risk-free, making it suitable for divers of all experience degrees.

The story behind the wreck is tragic: as she was transferring travelers to an additional ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and ran into it at full speed. Warm boilers wrecked versus cold salt water and exploded, sending the Rhone collapsing into the rocks and sinking in minutes. Just 23 of the 146 people aboard made it through. 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 cleared up at concerning 80 feet. Both are engulfed in coral reefs and inhabited by aquatic life, including colleges of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes a minimum of 2 dives to explore the whole wreck, however, considering that the bow and strict areas are divided by about 100 feet of water.