The Accident of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is a legendary ship accident that has brought to life a beautiful marine park. It is one of the most prominent dives in the Caribbean. Its heartbreaking tale remains to interest and astound us.


Captain Woolley selected the closest route to ocean blue with the network between Dead Upper body Island and Black Rock Point on Salt Island. As Rhone occurred to approach the factor the tail end of the cyclone tossed her onto the rocks.

The History
Throughout the yellow high temperature epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic guest ships stopped frequently at Roadway Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to transfer travelers and freight in between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had actually been warned by a dropping measure that a tornado was coming, but thinking that the cyclone season was over, he determined to remain at Great Harbour for the transfer with another RMS ship, Conway.

Just as they were passing Black Rock Point in between Salt and Dead Upper body islands, the weather all of a sudden altered instructions. The first stumble caught the Rhone on her side and she smashed against the rough coral reef. Tale has it that Captain Wooley was making use of a silver teaspoon (which remains encrusted in the coral reefs today) to mix his favorite at the time. The wreckage is currently a popular dive site, home to an interesting range of aquatic life. Most individuals agree that a full exploration of the site requires two separate dives, as the bow and demanding sections are spread out apart at various midsts.

The Accident
The Rhone relaxes underneath the cozy clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a popular dive website today. Site visitors can explore 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 teeming marine park is a reminder of the delicate balance between man and nature.

On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to anchor the Rhone in Road Harbor, the wind and waves shifted and he decided to try to defeat the coming close to storm out right into the ocean blue. He guided the ship to Black Rock Factor in between Dead Breast and Golden-haired Rock, a pair of rocky 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 central heating boilers creating a surge and sinking the vessel with all 123 guests still linked to their beds.

Snorkeling
Among one of the most well-known accident dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can easily explore much of the Rhone by simply drifting on a mask and breathing via the sea. The much deeper bow area is especially well-preserved, a kaleidoscope of orange cup corals reefs teeming with yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's also where scenes from the 1977 movie The all-inclusive bahamas catamaran charters Deep were filmed.

The strict and waistline are a lot more broken up, but they offer a haunting glimpse of a previous age. Divers should plan on at the very least 2 dives to completely experience the Rhone, especially since presence can occasionally be difficult. Highlights include the fortunate porthole, which scuba divers rub for good luck, and the renowned bronze prop. The rusting skeleton of the Rhone is a renowned view in the BVI and is a must-see for any kind of diving or boating lover. The ship is open to the public for expedition, and lots of local dive watercrafts check out daily. The Rhone is safeguarded by the National Park Solution, and entryway is for free.

Diving
Among the Caribbean's most renowned wreck dives, Rhone is a coveted website for its historical 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 passengers to an additional ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Point and encountered it at full speed. Hot central heating boilers shattered against chilly seawater and took off, sending out the Rhone crashing right into the rocks and sinking in minutes. Just 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 area drifted to much deeper waters, while the stern cleared up at about 80 feet. Both are swallowed up in coral and lived in by marine life, consisting of schools of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes at the very least two dives to discover the entire wreckage, though, considering that the bow and stern areas are separated by regarding 100 feet of water.