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Mention Caribbean shipwrecks to most people and visions of wealth beyond measure fill their minds: Spanish doubloons, gold bars piled high and strings of jewels overflowing wooden treasure chests. But for scuba divers exploring the many sunken wrecks that lie scattered around the BVI the treasure is not in the booty, but in the beauty.
Text and Photos By Jim Scheiner
The RMS Rhone
One of the most popular and highly rated shipwrecks in all the Caribbean is the Royal Mail Steam Packet ship, Rhone. A 310-foot-long, iron-hulled steam sailor, the Rhone, was built in Southampton, England in 1865 and was sunk by a hurricane a mere two years later on October 29, 1867. Constructed at the height of the Industrial Revolution, the Rhone was a hybrid vessel powered by sail and one of the earliest steam driven propellers. In the almost 140 years it has been underwater, the Rhone has been transformed by the sea and is now as much a natural reef as it's a wreck.
The Rhone is a spectacular dive, worthy of its considerable reputation. It looks exactly like what people expect a historic shipwreck to look like. The long sleek lines of the intact bow section, lying on its starboard side are clearly visible. The pointed bowsprit, a tall iron mast (complete with crow's nest), lifeboat davits and even a signalling canon are all easily spotted. Most divers are invariably drawn inside the wreck. When illuminated with a bright dive light, the interior reveals its true glory. Schools of fish flow around the support beams in mesmerizing fluidity, shafts of light penetrate the gloom through portholes. On the "ceiling," a liquid-mercury-like river of trapped air flows past beams, reflecting the brilliant colours of encrusting orange cup coral.
The stern of the ship lies in the shallows against Black Rock Point. Snorkellers floating on the surface above can easily see the huge propeller, the aft mast and drive shaft, as well as a long line of portholes. Friendly fish abound and venture forth like eager puppies to greet visiting divers. Local dive boats, snorkel excursions and charter yachts, visit the site, situated on the sheltered side of Salt Island, daily. Novice divers, as well as experienced pros and snorkellers, can all enjoy her wonders. The history and drama of its loss only add to the wreck's appeal, as does the fact that it served as the filming location for The Deep, starring Nick Nolte, Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Shaw.
The Chikuzen
Not quite as historic or accessible as the Rhone is the wreck of the Chikuzen, one of the BVI's best adventure dives. In August of 1981, the decrepit Chikuzen, part of a Korean fishing fleet based in St. Martin, was set a drift in front of an advancing hurricane, Fate conspired to send the 246-foot long hulk through the British Virgin Islands, were it eventually sank in the open Atlantic, half-way between Beef Island and Anegada. Today it lies on its port side at a depth of 75 feet.
The intact structure of the ship is intriguing enough, but it's the resident and transient marine life that makes it such a special dive. The surrounding terrain in all directions is a barren sand bottom so the wreck is like an oasis in the middle of underwater desert, attracting huge numbers of fish. Barracuda fill the mid-water space between the wreck and the surface. Masses of grey snapper ebb and flow over the ship in rhythm with the waves above. Shark-like cobia, amberjack and schools of spadefish often sweep in from the blue to circle excited divers and then just as mysteriously disappear into the gloom. Stealthy divers can often closely approach huge stingrays buried up to their eyeballs in the sand. There are fish everywhere, and every diver surfaces with his or her own stories of close encounters. The Chikuzen's remote location and exposure to rough sea conditions make it difficult to dive on a regular basis, but also promise to preserve its wild temperament for years to come.
Wreck Alley and More
Off the southwestern coast of Cooper Island lies "wreck alley," home to quite a few shipwrecks. It's not the vortex of the Bermuda Triangle, but rather a carefully selected site where local dive operators working with local authorities have intentionally sunk a series of ships to attract both marine life and visiting divers. The star of the show is the Beata, an ocean-going tug sunk in 2001. She sits in the sand at 75 feet, perfectly upright, perfectly intact, with her bow just a diver's length from a sheer coral wall that climbs back up to shallower water where the dive boats are moored. With her engine room crammed full of colourful copper sweepers and schools of fish circling her wheelhouse she is a lot of fun to explore.
Close enough to the Beata to visit on the same tank of air are the wrecks of Marie L and the Pat. Sunk several years apart they lie side-by-side, with a narrow gap between them for divers to swim through. It hasn't taken long for them to attract marine life. Smaller fish enjoy the protection of the hidden recesses, and larger fish enjoy the smaller fish. In the same general area lies the Inganess Bay. Over the years the wreck has been largely flattened by storms and is not much of an attraction these days.
Two islands down in Great Harbour, Peter Island lie the wrecks of two wooden vessels. Intentionally placed at the bottom of a black-coral-blanketed wall, the 100-foot long Fearless has begun to break up. But that has only added to her sense of mystery — as streaming shafts of light now project through her decks and out her hull where the planks of wood have fallen away. The Willie T, formerly a popular bar and restaurant anchored in the Bight at Norman Island, joined the Fearless about 10 years ago (Bar-going yachtsmen should not worry as the Willie T was replaced by the newer and just as raucous Willie T II). In 1993, Atlantic Air BVI's one and only aircraft made a water landing off the end of the runway. Fortunately no one was hurt, and the carcass of the plane (without wings or tail) eventually made its way to Great Dog Island where divers get great joy sitting in the pilot's seat.
No treatise on BVI wrecks would be complete without at least a mention of Anegada. Its low-lying profile and treacherous Horseshoe Reef extend 17 miles into the Anegada Passage, one of the major trade routes into the Caribbean. Over the centuries more than 300 wooden vessels have foundered on its vicious shoals, but there's very little to be found today to reveal their tragic passing. The remains of two more contemporary iron-hulled ships are clearly discernable through the thick overgrowing coral: the Rocus (also known as the "bone wreck," which sank in 1929) and the Paramatta (a paddle-wheeled predecessor to the Rhone) that sank in 1859.
What man has abandoned, nature redeems. The wrecks of the BVI are more than a collection of "lost ships," but rather a part of our history and a celebration of the restorative powers of the sea.
Here are a few more popular BVI dive sites:
The Indians (Norman Island) A favorite site for scuba divers as well as snorkelers. The Indians is a unique rock formation that forms an underwater tunnel. Expect to see an abundance of coral and reef fish in water ranging from 10 to 50 feet.
Rainbow Canyons (Pelican Island) A site not to be missed for sighting sharks, reef fish and eels in depths of 20 to 60 feet.
Painted Walls (Deadchest Island) Underwater canyons, brightly colored sponges, walls, corals where it is common to see turtles and nurse sharks. From 30 to 60 feet, good for both beginners and advanced divers in good weather.
Blonde Rock (Salt Island and Peter Island) Twin pinnacles, ledges and canyons offer divers a colorful array of marine life.
Santa Monica Rock (South of Norman Island) Rock pinnacles rise to just below the surface of the water in depths of 20 to 100 feet.
Thumb Rock (Cooper Island) Another interesting rock formation home to a wide variety of marine life and schools of colorful fish.
Click on map for full size version.
What would make your BVI vacation complete? Whether its boating, biking, hiking, team sports, horseback, surfing, snorkeling, diving, windsurfing, kayaking, kite boarding, sailing, fishing — get the 411 on who to contact right here.
Learn more about each island of the BVI and its beautiful pristine beaches, here.
One of the most popular and highly rated shipwrecks in all the Caribbean is the Royal Mail Steam Packet ship, Rhone. A 310-foot-long, iron-hulled steam sailor, the Rhone, was built in Southampton, England in 1865 and was sunk by a hurricane a mere two years later on October 29, 1867. Constructed at the height of the Industrial Revolution, the Rhone was a hybrid vessel powered by sail and one of the earliest steam driven propellers. In the almost 140 years it has been underwater, the Rhone has been transformed by the sea and is now as much a natural reef as it's a wreck.
The stern of the ship lies in the shallows against Black Rock Point. Snorkellers floating on the surface above can easily see the huge propeller, the aft mast and drive shaft, as well as a long line of portholes. Friendly fish abound and venture forth like eager puppies to greet visiting divers. Local dive boats, snorkel excursions and charter yachts, visit the site, situated on the sheltered side of Salt Island, daily. Novice divers, as well as experienced pros and snorkellers, can all enjoy her wonders. The history and drama of its loss only add to the wreck's appeal, as does the fact that it served as the filming location for The Deep, starring Nick Nolte, Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Shaw.
Off the southwestern coast of Cooper Island lies "wreck alley," home to quite a few shipwrecks. It's not the vortex of the Bermuda Triangle, but rather a carefully selected site where local dive operators working with local authorities have intentionally sunk a series of ships to attract both marine life and visiting divers. The star of the show is the Beata, an ocean-going tug sunk in 2001. She sits in the sand at 75 feet, perfectly upright, perfectly intact, with her bow just a diver's length from a sheer coral wall that climbs back up to shallower water where the dive boats are moored. With her engine room crammed full of colourful copper sweepers and schools of fish circling her wheelhouse she is a lot of fun to explore.
No treatise on BVI wrecks would be complete without at least a mention of Anegada. Its low-lying profile and treacherous Horseshoe Reef extend 17 miles into the Anegada Passage, one of the major trade routes into the Caribbean. Over the centuries more than 300 wooden vessels have foundered on its vicious shoals, but there's very little to be found today to reveal their tragic passing. The remains of two more contemporary iron-hulled ships are clearly discernable through the thick overgrowing coral: the Rocus (also known as the "bone wreck," which sank in 1929) and the Paramatta (a paddle-wheeled predecessor to the Rhone) that sank in 1859.
Painted Walls (Deadchest Island)
