Wreck of the RMS Rhone - Salt Island & Cooper Island
The RMS Rhone is a classic for a reason. This British Royal Mail steamship, wrecked by a hurricane in 1867, offers a proper historical dive. We usually start at the stern section, shallow enough at 10m to explore the huge propeller and shaft, then follow the debris field to the deeper bow at 25m. Look for the giant wrenches and those distinctive black-and-white tiles scattered around. Over time, the Rhone has become home to plenty of schooling fish and a good number of moray eels tucked into its iron structure. It's a great wreck for divers who appreciate a bit of history and don’t mind splitting a dive between two distinct sections.
- Location
- Salt Island & Cooper Island, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.350000, -64.678000
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Frenchmans Cay
Best Time to Dive in Salt Island & Cooper Island
The warmest water temperatures in Salt Island & Cooper Island occur in January, averaging 27.1°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.1°C (air: 25.5°C)
- February: 27.1°C (air: 25.1°C)
- March: 27.1°C (air: 25.2°C)
- April: 27.1°C (air: 25.7°C)
- May: 27.1°C (air: 26.8°C)
- June: 27.1°C (air: 27.6°C)
- July: 27.1°C (air: 27.8°C)
- August: 27.1°C (air: 28.1°C)
- September: 27.1°C (air: 28.3°C)
- October: 27.1°C (air: 28.0°C)
- November: 27.1°C (air: 27.1°C)
- December: 27.1°C (air: 26.3°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Salt Island & Cooper Island
- Alice in Wonderland, BVI (reef)
- Alice in Wonderland, BVI (cenote)
- Angelfish Reef (muck)
- Angelfish Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- Beata - 25m (wreck)
- Blue Chromis Reef (reef)
- Blue Chromis Reef (reef)
- Cane Garden Bay (reef)
- Carval Rock
- Chromis Reef (middle) (reef)
- Cistern Point (reef)
- Cistern Point - 10-30m (wall)
- Devil’s Kitchen (reef)
- Diamond Reef (reef)
- Dip n Scrub
Nearest Dive Centres to Wreck of the RMS Rhone
Marine Life in Salt Island & Cooper Island
Home to 504 recorded species including 410 reef fish, 39 hard corals, 13 sharks & rays, 9 other, 7 whales & dolphins, 6 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) - Reef Fish
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Bicolor Damselfish (Stegastes partitus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Longspine Squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Sharpnose Pufferfish (Canthigaster rostrata) - Reef Fish
- Blushing Star Coral (Stephanocoenia intersepta) - Hard Corals
- Barred Hamlet (Hypoplectrus puella) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Wreck of the RMS Rhone
Based on average water temperature of 27.1°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories