This was a ship belonging to Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, used to transport mail and passengers from and to the Caribbean. What made it stand out among other ships was its features, it had both sail and steam power.

Robert F. Wooley, the captain of the RMS Rhone, was forced to avoid St. Thomas – the designated coaling station – as this area was affected by a yellow fever epidemic . He anchored near Peter Island, in Great Harbor, but on 29th October 1867 things will take a turn for the worst. Bad weather was ahead so the captain decided to up the anchor and sail between Salt and Peter Island to avoid hitting the rocks. A hurricane hit the ship once and Wooley went outside to inspect the weather and was washed overboard. Rhone started to head for the rocks and soon met its end near Black Rock Point, along with its 123 passengers.

This diving site was also featured in the 1977 movie The Deep, featuring Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset, a movie portraying the consequences this couple has to face after discovering a deadly wreck.

A 310 ft long and 40 ft wide wreck, split in two, covered in orange cup corals and sponges will greet you when you dive these picturesque and adventurous waters. The deck, the propeller and the steam engine are all almost intact so you won’t see just a rotting structure.

A barracuda funnily nicknamed Fang, turtles, stingrays, angelfish, yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks, grunts, all sorts of colorful fish will accompany you in your swim and hide in even the smallest crevices available.

In order to explore the whole scenery the RMS Rhone has to offer you will need at least two decent dives so don’t leave this site for the last couple of hours of your trip, you will regret not exploring more of its beauties.

Photo credit for the 3 images on this page: Mickael Taillier (Sail Caribbean Divers)

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You will see some occasional exotic fish swimming around the wreck but they are rare, Marie L is a diving spot known mostly for its wreck, garden eels and the stingrays that lurk in the sandy bottom.

Because of the depth, the diving is done in shallower waters near the boat mooring area but you will soon be mesmerized by the incredible view ahead of you so make sure you don’t run out of gas. This is the place where underwater photography portrays some amazing sceneries and the shipwreck will look incredible, covered in corals and eroded by time.

Photos by Armando Jenik

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Colorful corals and sponges cover the rocky formations and the ship, creating a wonderful marine tapestry.

This site is full of marine life, from smaller, colorful fish to gigantic ones. Here you will see horse eyed jacks, almaco jacks, lookdowns, pompano mackerels, jewfish, saucereye porgy, chubs, Atlantic spadefish, barracuda, cobia, groupers, southern stingrays and the ever so gently turtles. You will also have the chance to see a popular resident, the 600lb Goliath grouper.

The visibility is very good here but because Chikuzen is located in open waters, the diving is done in tough conditions and only by expert divers. If the weather is moody you will have to focus your energy on other nearby sites.

A captivating site, Chikuzen is the perfect place to show your underwater photography skills as at any moment during your dive you will be accompanied by exotic fish and other underwater creatures.

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Soft and hard corals home some of the most colorful and alert exotic fish, turtles, nurse sharks and one or two lonely reef sharks. Explore the rocky canyons to get a close up on the exciting topography this place has and explore the nook and crannies for the smallest species that lurk inside, waiting to be spotted on camera.

This site doesn’t depend that much on the weather conditions but occasionally the currents can be quite demanding. The visibility is better in the northern part so you have more chances of spotting a wide array of fauna in this area.

Accessible by boat, Rhone Reef doesn’t have the same excitement levels as its neighbor, the Wreck of Rhone, but will captivate the diver with a picturesque marine architecture.

Photos by Armando Jenik

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This diving spot got its name from the myriad of fire corals embracing the pinnacle but it could have easily be named Lobster Rock as you will see a lot of lobsters the second you start your diving. Cup coral and vibrantly colored sponges will surround you, as though desperately seeking for someone to immortalize them on camera.

You will also have the chance to spot puffer fish, parrotfish, angelfish, triggerfish, blackbar soldierfish, chub, French grunts, bar jacks, horse-eye jacks, creole wrasse, tomtates, coneys, glasseye snappers, graysby fish, carangid fish, barracuda, cobias, turtles and a few sharks. So make no mistake, you will witness a lot of wildlife in these waters.

This is a weather dependent diving site so if you have a bad weather day, chances are you won’t even be able to find the mooring buoys, let alone have a good dive.

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The huge steps – which is where this diving site got its name – go down to around 90 feet and have crevices that provide small hiding places for interesting underwater creatures. The sand here is so white that when the sun reflects in it the whole area is magically light up creating a very unique scenery.

Tube sponges, sea fans, brain and star coral bouquets cover the rocky formations and make up for an incredible view.

Cruise these blue waters and discover the exotic fish that decided to call them their home; shellfish, angelfish, anthias, sea breams, pompanos, octopuses, squirrelfish, damselfish, snappers, grunts, moray eels, lobsters, barracuda, dolphins, eagle rays and turtles roam these waters in search for food and a nice place to sleep.

Ginger Steps is a great reef dive, rich in underwater species and the go to site for divers that want to capture this amazing wildlife on camera.

Photo by Armando Jenik

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Explore the nooks and crannies to expose the small, shy underwater creatures that chose them as their hiding locations. Bring along your camera to capture the captivating wildlife that is everywhere around you.

Crabs, lobsters, octopuses and turtles, barracuda, southern sennet, nurse and reef sharks, tarpons, moray eels, porcupinefish and parrotfish are just some of the exotic species that lurk in these waters. Ginger’ Backside is the type of diving site where bringing your camera is a must; you will be surrounded at any given time by interesting fish and the corals are too beautiful to be overlooked.

Slowly swim along exotic fish or a cute turtle and explore all the beauty Ginger’s Backside has to offer.

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Black coral among many other colored versions and sea fans cover the rocks and the sandy bottom. Don’t expect to see a coral here and there, this site is hugely abundant in vibrant corals that will look incredible captured on camera.

Dry Rocks East is home to cobia, nurse sharks, barracuda, huge clams, southern and slipper lobsters, hawksbill turtles, moray eels, horse eye jacks, African pompano, Atlantic spadefish, French angelfish, grunts, black durgons, sergeant majors, chromis, creole wrasses, hinds, coneys, filefish, goatfish, highhats, pufferfish and trunkfish.

Unfortunately, the currents are usually overwhelming due to the fact that Dry Rocks East is located in open waters but if you catch a good day you will most surely enjoy it as the visibility is very good here.

Photos by Armando Jenik

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The underwater landscape abounds in small crevices that wait to be explored to reveal the colorful and curious fish hiding there. The rocks are covered with fire coral and colorful sponges while dancing marine plants can be spotted on the sand patches.

At Carval Rock you will see sharks, barracuda, moray eels, lobsters, red lip blennies, amberjacks, whitespotted filefish, groupers, queen and black triggerfish, jewelfish, gobies, damselfish, mackerels, kingfish, French grunts, blue tang, trumpetfish, spotted drums and high-hats.

This diving site has a huge potential but it’s not that frequented so chances are you will either find it deserted or with a few divers here and there.

Photos by Armando Jenik

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Located near one of the most famous diving site in BVI, the RMS Rhone, Vanishing Rock is a shallow coral reef that is home to some colorful and interesting wildlife, like anemones, shrimps, squirrelfish, grunts, sergeant majors, bigeye snappers, jawfish, blennies, Spanish hogfish, green moray eels, lobsters and nurse sharks.

Gorgonians and colorful sponges coat the rocky topography and the sandy bottom, creating a very picturesque sight. In the deeper waters you’ll find Sergeant Major City and if you go even further you will be witnessing Sergeant Major Suburbs; both these pillar coral architectures are boasting with marine creatures so make sure to check them out.

This site depends very much on the weather as stronger currents could make Vanishing Rock undivable. If you want a quiet diving site with a wide array of marine life, this will prove worth your while.

Photo by <a title=”Armando Jenik BVI Photography” href=”http://armandojenik.com” target=”new”>Armando Jenik</a>

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