RMS Rhone

The Royal Mail Steamer Rhone sank at Salt Island in the great hurricane of October 1867, taking around 123 of the roughly 145 people aboard, and more than a century and a half later she remains the Caribbean's defining wreck dive. The bow section lies on its side in the mid-twenties, hull plates open like a cathedral nave, sheathed in orange cup corals and swirling with silversides. The shallow stern holds the enormous bronze propeller, the famous lucky porthole, and enough light for long, easy exploration. Scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were shot here. Dive her with the respect a grave site deserves.

اللحظة التي جئت من أجلها: Intact coral-sheathed bow section, giant propeller in the shallows, richest wreck history in the region

التضاريس: Rocky point and sand at Salt Island, wreckage in two depth bands

التيار: Current at Black Rock Point varies; the stern shallows can also carry surge.

نقطة الدخول: National park moorings serve the bow and stern sections separately; most operators run it as a two-tank dive.

المخاطر: Surge near Black Rock Point; open swim-throughs only, with true penetration inappropriate given the wreck's age and status.

التصاريح والقواعد: National Parks Trust permit required; arranged by operators.

الحفاظ على البيئة البحرية: The wreck and surrounding waters form the BVI's Wreck of the Rhone Marine Park; removing anything is illegal.

نيتروكس: يستحق الأمر هنا: الملفات الشخصية تقع في النطاق الذي يُمدّد فيه الهواء المدعّم (نيتروكس) وقت الغوص دون توقف تمديدًا ملموسًا، مع التدريب اللازم لاستخدامه.