The Wreck of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is a fabulous ship wreck that has given birth to an attractive aquatic park. It is one of the most popular dives in the Caribbean. Its awful tale remains to captivate and mesmerize us.


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

The Background
Throughout the yellow high temperature epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic traveler ships stopped frequently 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 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 Chest islands, the climate instantly altered direction. The initial lurch captured the Rhone on her side and she shattered against the rocky coral reef. Tale has it that Captain Wooley was utilizing a silver teaspoon (which remains dirtied in the coral reefs today) to stir his cup of tea at the time. The wreckage is currently a prominent dive site, home to a fascinating selection of aquatic life. The majority of people agree that a full expedition of the site requires 2 different dives, as the bow and demanding sections are spread out apart at different depths.

The Wreckage
The Rhone relaxes below the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a popular dive website today. Visitors can discover the incredibly intact bow section, see where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were shot, and swim under the stern near its huge 15 foot propeller. This teeming aquatic park is a tip of the delicate equilibrium between man and nature.

On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to secure the Rhone in Road Harbor, the wind and waves shifted and he determined to attempt to beat the coming close to storm out into the ocean blue. He guided the ship to Black Rock Point in between Dead Breast and Blonde Rock, a set of rocky peaks rising from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in two areas with the cold water of the incoming trend calling the hot central heating boilers triggering an explosion and sinking the vessel with all 123 guests still connected to their beds.

Snorkeling
Among one of the most famous wreckage dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can quickly discover much of the Rhone by just floating on a mask and breathing via the sea. The deeper bow area is especially unspoiled, a kaleidoscope of orange mug corals including yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's also where scenes from the 1977 flick The Deep were shot.

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, specifically because visibility can often be tricky. Emphasizes include the lucky porthole, which scuba divers scrub forever all inclusive yacht charter luck, and the well-known bronze prop. The rusting skeleton of the Rhone is a legendary sight in the BVI and is a must-see for any kind of diving or boating enthusiast. The ship is open to the general public for exploration, and lots of local dive boats see daily. The Rhone is safeguarded by the National forest Service, and entry is for free.

Diving
Among the Caribbean's most celebrated accident dives, Rhone is a desirable site for its historic allure and bursting aquatic life. It's open and relatively secure, making it suitable for divers of all experience degrees.

The story behind the accident is unfortunate: as she was transferring guests to another ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and ran into it at full speed. Hot central heating boilers smashed against cool seawater and blew up, sending out the Rhone crashing into the rocks and sinking in mins. 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 area wandered to deeper waters, while the demanding cleared up at about 80 feet. Both are engulfed in coral reefs and lived in by marine life, consisting of colleges of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes at least two dives to check out the whole wreck, though, considering that the bow and strict sections are separated by concerning 100 feet of water.