The Wreck of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is a fabulous ship accident that has brought to life a stunning aquatic park. It is among one of the most prominent dives in the Caribbean. Its tragic tale continues to interest and captivate us.


Captain Woolley went with the closest course to ocean blue with the channel between Dead Chest Island and Black Rock Point on Salt Island. As Rhone came around to approach the factor the tail end of the storm threw her onto the rocks.

The Background
During the yellow fever epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic passenger ships stopped regularly at Roadway Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to move guests and cargo between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had been advised by a going down measure that a storm was coming, but believing that the storm period was over, he chose to stay at Great Harbour for the transfer with an additional RMS ship, Conway.

Equally as they were passing Black Rock Factor between Salt and Dead Chest islands, the climate unexpectedly altered direction. The initial stumble captured the Rhone on her side and she smashed against the rough reef. Legend has it that Captain Wooley was making use of a silver tsp (which stays encrusted in the reefs today) to mix his cup of tea at the time. The wreck is currently a prominent dive site, home to a fascinating selection of marine life. The majority of people agree that a complete exploration of the site calls for two separate dives, as the bow and strict sections are spread apart at various depths.

The Wreckage
The Rhone relaxes below the cozy clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a renowned dive site today. Site visitors can check out the remarkably undamaged bow area, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were fired, and swim under the demanding near its large 15 foot prop. This brimming aquatic park is a pointer of the fragile balance between male and nature.

On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to secure the Rhone in Road Harbor, the wind and waves moved and he made yacht rental a decision to attempt to beat the approaching storm out right into the ocean blue. He guided the ship to Black Rock Point between Dead Breast and Golden-haired Rock, a set of rough pinnacles rising up from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in two sections with the cold water of the incoming trend speaking to the warm boilers triggering a surge and sinking the vessel with all 123 guests still linked to their beds.

Snorkeling
One of the most well-known accident dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can quickly explore much of the Rhone by simply floating on a mask and breathing with the sea. The much deeper bow area is specifically unspoiled, a kaleidoscope of orange mug reefs including yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's likewise where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were filmed.

The stern and midsection are extra separated, yet they supply a haunting look of a previous age. Divers ought to plan on at least 2 dives to completely experience the Rhone, particularly because visibility can occasionally be complicated. Emphasizes include the lucky porthole, which scuba divers massage completely luck, and the popular bronze propeller. The rusting skeleton of the Rhone is an iconic view in the BVI and is a must-see for any type of diving or boating enthusiast. The ship is open to the public for expedition, and lots of regional dive boats see daily. The Rhone is shielded by the National forest Service, and entry is cost free.

Diving
One of the Caribbean's most celebrated wreckage dives, Rhone is a desired site for its historic attraction and bursting marine life. It's open and reasonably risk-free, making it suitable for scuba divers of all experience levels.

The tale behind the accident is terrible: as she was moving travelers to another ship, Conway, at Roadway Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Point and ran into it at full speed. Warm boilers smashed versus cold salt water and blew up, sending out the Rhone crashing into the rocks and sinking in mins. Only 23 of the 146 individuals aboard survived. Their bodies were hidden on Salt Island.

The accident split in two when it sank, and the bow area drifted to much deeper waters, while the demanding worked out at concerning 80 feet. Both are swallowed up in coral and lived in by aquatic life, including colleges of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes a minimum of 2 dives to check out the whole accident, though, considering that the bow and stern areas are separated by regarding 100 feet of water.