The Accident of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is a legendary ship accident that has actually brought to life a beautiful marine park. It is just one of the most popular dives in the Caribbean. Its heartbreaking story continues to interest and captivate us.


Captain Woolley went with the closest course to ocean blue via the network in between Dead Breast Island and Black Rock Factor on Salt Island. As Rhone happened to approach the point the tail end of the hurricane threw 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, but thinking that the cyclone period was over, he chose to stay at Great Harbour for the transfer with another RMS ship, Conway.

Equally as they were passing Black Rock Factor between Salt and Dead Chest islands, the weather instantly transformed instructions. The preliminary lurch captured the Rhone on her side and she wrecked versus the rocky reef. Tale has it that Captain Wooley was making use of a silver tsp (which remains encrusted in the reefs today) to mix his cup of tea at the time. The wreck is currently a preferred dive site, home to a fascinating array of aquatic life. Most individuals concur that a full exploration of the website needs two different dives, as the bow and strict sections are spread apart at various midsts.

The Wreck
The Rhone rests under the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a well known dive website today. Site visitors can check out the remarkably undamaged bow section, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were fired, and swim under the demanding near its large 15 foot prop. This bursting marine park is a reminder of the fragile balance between male and nature.

On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to anchor the Rhone in Roadway Harbor, the wind and waves moved and he chose to attempt to defeat the approaching storm out right into the ocean blue. He steered the ship to Black Rock Factor between Dead Chest and Blond Rock, a pair of rough peaks rising up from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in 2 sections with the cold water of the inbound trend getting in touch with the warm boilers causing a surge and sinking the vessel with all 123 travelers still linked to their beds.

Snorkeling
Among the most renowned accident dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can easily check out much of the Rhone by simply drifting on a mask and breathing with the sea. The much deeper bow section is particularly unspoiled, a kaleidoscope of orange cup reefs teeming with yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's additionally where scenes from the 1977 motion picture The Deep were filmed.

The strict and midsection are extra broken up, yet they use a haunting glimpse of a previous era. Scuba divers ought to intend on at least 2 dives to fully experience the Rhone, specifically because presence can in some cases be tricky. Emphasizes consist of the lucky porthole, which scuba divers rub forever luck, and the well-known bronze prop. The rusting skeleton of the Rhone is a famous 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 coveted website for its historic allure and bursting marine life. It's open and fairly secure, making it suitable for scuba divers of all experience levels.

The story behind the wreckage is tragic: as she was moving guests to another ship, Conway, at Roadway Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and encountered it at full speed. Warm central heating boilers shattered versus cold seawater and took off, sending the Rhone crashing right into the rocks and sinking in mins. Only 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 drifted to deeper waters, while the strict settled at regarding 80 feet. Both are swallowed up in coral and occupied by aquatic life, consisting of schools of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes a minimum of 2 dives to explore the entire accident, however, british virgin islands catamaran rental since the bow and demanding areas are separated by about 100 feet of water.