The RMS Rhone is a legendary ship wreckage that has given birth to a beautiful aquatic park. It is just one of the most prominent dives in the Caribbean. Its tragic story remains to attract and captivate us.
Captain Woolley selected the closest path 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
Throughout the yellow high temperature epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic traveler ships stopped frequently at Roadway Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to transfer travelers and cargo between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had been alerted by a dropping barometer that a storm was coming, however believing that the typhoon 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 Factor in between Salt and Dead Breast islands, the weather condition unexpectedly altered direction. The initial lurch caught the Rhone on her side and she smashed against the rough coral reef. Legend has it that Captain Wooley was using a silver teaspoon (which continues to be dirtied in the coral reefs today) to stir his cup of tea at the time. The wreck is currently a preferred dive website, home to an interesting range of marine life. Most people concur that a complete exploration of the site calls for 2 different dives, as the bow and strict areas are spread apart at different depths.
The Wreckage
The Rhone relaxes underneath the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a well known dive site today. Site visitors can check out the remarkably intact bow area, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were shot, and swim under the stern near its huge 15 foot prop. This brimming marine park is a reminder 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 shifted and he made a decision to try to beat the coming close to storm out into the open sea. He guided the ship to Black Rock Point between Dead Upper Body and Golden-haired Rock, a pair of rough pinnacles 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 guests still connected to their beds.
Snorkeling
One of the most renowned accident dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can easily discover much of the Rhone by just floating on a mask and breathing via the sea. The deeper bow area is specifically sailing valentina well-preserved, a kaleidoscope of orange mug corals reefs teeming with yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's additionally where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were filmed.
The strict and belly are more separated, however they offer a haunting look of a past period. Divers should intend on at the very least two dives to totally experience the Rhone, particularly since exposure can sometimes be complicated. Highlights consist of the lucky porthole, which scuba divers scrub forever 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 lover. The ship is open to the general public for exploration, and several local dive watercrafts visit daily. The Rhone is secured by the National Park Solution, and entrance is absolutely free.
Diving
One of the Caribbean's most renowned wreck dives, Rhone is a desired site for its historical attraction and brimming aquatic life. It's open and relatively risk-free, making it suitable for divers of all experience degrees.
The story behind the accident is tragic: as she was transferring guests to another ship, Conway, at Roadway Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and ran into it at full speed. Warm central heating boilers shattered versus cold salt water and exploded, sending out the Rhone crashing into the rocks and sinking in mins. Only 23 of the 146 people aboard endured. Their bodies were buried on Salt Island.
The wreckage split in two when it sank, and the bow section drifted to much deeper waters, while the stern cleared up at concerning 80 feet. Both are engulfed in reefs and inhabited by marine life, consisting of schools of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes a minimum of 2 dives to explore the whole wreck, though, given that the bow and stern sections are divided by concerning 100 feet of water.
