RMS Rhone

The RMS Rhone is the most celebrated and historically significant dive site in the British Virgin Islands — a Victorian-era Royal Mail Ship that sank during a catastrophic hurricane in October 1867 near Salt Island and now rests at depths of 15 to 30 meters in two main sections, offering one of the Caribbean's finest and most evocative wreck dives in remarkably clear tropical water. The Rhone was a state-of-the-art 310-foot iron-hulled steam-and-sail vessel on her maiden voyage to the West Indies when Hurricane San Narciso struck with devastating force. In the chaos of the storm the captain attempted to escape the anchorage at Great Harbour, Peter Island, but the ship was driven onto the rocks of Salt Island, the boiler exploding when the cold sea water contacted the superheated metal, shattering the hull into the fore and aft sections that still lie on the seafloor today. The wreck gained additional fame as the location for the 1977 film The Deep, and its dramatic character and historical resonance have made it a bucket-list destination for Caribbean divers for decades. Today the Rhone is a designated National Park and Marine Reserve, ensuring the preservation of both the wreck and the surrounding reef. The forward section rests in 15 to 25 meters on a sandy slope, while the stern lies in just 6 to 15 meters on a reef — allowing divers of all levels to experience the site. The structure is massively colonized by corals, sponges, and marine growth that transforms every surface into a living reef: large elkhorn and staghorn coral formations, massive barrel sponges, and sea fans create an environment of extraordinary visual richness. Schools of silversides, glassy sweepers, and chromis fill the interior spaces. The Rhone is the ultimate BVI diving experience.