• Scuba diver silhouetted in a blue opening in the RMS Rhone wreck, with a dense school of small fish above and to the right.

    RMS Rhone Marine Park

    A historic wreck and reef dives off Salt Island

    British Virgin Islands

  • Map of the British Virgin Islands with RMS Rhone Marine Park marked near Salt Island, southeast of Road Town and northeast of Peter Island.

    Destination Map

    Get your bearings around RMS Rhone Marine Park and the surrounding coast.
  • Aerial view of Salt Island with a large pale pond, a smaller reddish pond, and two boats offshore.

    Dive Site Character

    Two boats sit off Salt Island, where a narrow strip of shore separates the blue water from the island’s salt ponds.
    Overflightstock/stock.adobe.com · Adobe Stock Standard License. Cropped to square and optimized as a 1400 × 1400 WebP.
  • White open dive boat with passengers and scuba tanks crossing blue water off a dry, rocky island.

    Visitor Access

    With scuba tanks racked at the stern, the dive boat leaves a short white wake against the rocky shoreline.

Why This Harbor Matters

Off Salt Island, a Royal Mail steamer that never finished its voyage gives visiting crews a reason to spend a day looking below the waterline. The Rhone sank in an 1867 hurricane, and the remains still tell the story of a working ship: a recognizable bow, machinery and a propeller that once drove her through these waters.

The wreck is the centerpiece, but the experience changes as you look beyond the hull. Sponges and corals grow on the ironwork, and reef fish shelter among the remains. Toward Dead Chest, rock formations and reef terrain give a second outing a character of its own.

Build the visit around the people aboard. Divers can make the wreck their main outing, while the rest of the crew can choose a separate shoreside or cruising stop. A guided trip from Cooper Island is one way to fit a wreck dive into a cruise without bringing the whole boat to the site.

Harbor Snapshot

Country British Virgin Islands
Region British Virgin Islands
Harbor Type Marine park and wreck dive site
Primary Cruising Role Day visit for wreck and reef diving
Best Known For The wreck of the Royal Mail steamer Rhone
Protection Day-use dive stop; assess wind and swell before visiting
Provisioning Provision in Road Town, Tortola, and bring food and drinking water for the dive day
Fuel & Water Plan fuel and water at a marina before visiting; Village Cay in Road Town lists both
Customs & Immigration No clearance at the marine park. If arriving from abroad, clear in at a designated BVI port of entry, such as Road Town, before visiting
Typical Stay Plan a day visit
Cruising Importance A maritime heritage stop off Salt Island

Cruising Highlights

At-a-glance features that define the cruising experience at this harbor.

See the Rhone from the outside

See the Rhone from the outside

  • Make the wreck the focus of the outing
  • Look for the bow and exposed machinery
  • Give the propeller a place on your look-for list
  • Leave artifacts undisturbed
Choose a second dive

Choose a second dive

  • Ask about the canyons at Painted Walls
  • Consider Blonde Rock if the group has suitable experience
  • Discuss Rhone Reef as a separate outing
  • Match the site to the whole dive group
Plan the boat visit

Plan the boat visit

  • Check the park mooring permit
  • Confirm which buoy suits your vessel
  • Keep the visit to a day stop
  • Have a separate plan if a buoy is unavailable
Make it work for the crew

Make it work for the crew

  • Ask about a guided trip from Cooper Island
  • Confirm equipment arrangements when booking
  • Plan separately for anyone staying aboard
  • Bring drinking water and food for the day

Explore RMS Rhone Marine Park

Wet black fins and a folded blue towel on a white boat bench, with rippled water and low rocky islands beyond.
Wet black fins and a folded blue towel on a white boat bench, with rippled water and low rocky islands beyond.
Seated diver in a black wetsuit holding a dive mask beside a secured scuba tank, with blue water and a rocky shoreline behind him.
Seated diver in a black wetsuit holding a dive mask beside a secured scuba tank, with blue water and a rocky shoreline behind him.
Underwater close-up of orange sponges and coral on weathered metal, with small fish in the blue water beside it.
Underwater close-up of orange sponges and coral on weathered metal, with small fish in the blue water beside it.

Nearby Harbors

Discover the natural next stops for your cruise, whether you are looking for customs clearance, protected anchorages, marina services, or planning your next passage.

Manchioneel Bay

Manchioneel Bay

Manchioneel Bay gives a British Virgin Islands cruise a distinctly Cooper Island pause. Visiting sailors and powerboaters can make the bay their destination for time ashore or a night aboard, with the island’s waterfront close to the boating experience.

Explore Harbor →
Peter Island

Peter Island

Peter Island gives a BVI cruise room to change pace. Its appeal reaches beyond a single waterfront: a crew can plan around a marina stay, choose a mooring in another bay or make time for a beach visit. The island is the destination; the individual bays shape how you experience it.

Explore Harbor →
The Bight, Norman Island

The Bight, Norman Island

The Bight gives Norman Island a clear place in a British Virgin Islands cruise: a bay where visiting crews can spend time afloat and enjoy an established shore destination. Its appeal reaches beyond finding somewhere to stop.

Explore Harbor →
Road Town

Road Town

Explore Tortola’s main harbor town, with marina facilities, waterfront services, provisioning, dining, and convenient access to the island’s commercial center.

Explore Harbor →
RMS Rhone Marine Park Harbor Collection keepsake

Harbor Collection

Celebrate This Harbor

Every harbor tells a story. Create a personalized Harbor Collection keepsake to remember your time in RMS Rhone Marine Park, from moments on the water to a favorite stop ashore and the people who shared the journey.

Design options

Home Port Favorite Harbor Harbor Memory Coordinates

Personalization options

  • Boat Name
  • Harbor Name
  • Year Visited
  • Coordinates (Optional)
  • Design Style
  • Personal Message (Optional)

Product details

  • Premium Acacia Hardwood
  • Precision Laser Engraving
  • Food-Safe Finish
  • Made in the USA
Shop Harbor Collection

Frequently Asked Questions

Find practical answers to common questions about visiting RMS Rhone Marine Park, including harbor facilities, shoreside services, trip planning, and what boaters should confirm before arrival.

Can I book a Rhone dive without taking my own boat to Salt Island? +
Yes. A guided excursion from Cooper Island is an option through Sail Caribbean Divers. Ask about the meeting point and pickup arrangements when booking.
Can I anchor while my crew dives? +
No. The park prohibits anchoring. Use a designated park mooring with the required permit, or arrange a guided outing instead.
Do I have to go inside the wreck to see the main features? +
No. The bow, machinery and propeller give an exterior dive plenty of interest. Tell the dive leader you want to stay outside the wreck.
Is Blonde Rock a good second dive for a newly certified diver? +
Sail Caribbean Divers rates Blonde Rock as advanced. Ask the operator whether Painted Walls or another site is a better fit for your training and the conditions that day.
Can I see the Rhone’s anchor at the main wreck? +
The ship’s abandoned anchor lies separately at Great Harbour on Peter Island. If it’s something you want to see, ask about it as a separate dive.
Should I plan to stay overnight at the wreck? +
Plan the wreck as a day outing and arrange a separate overnight stop. Keep enough flexibility to reschedule the dive if the day’s conditions or mooring availability change.

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Harbor Collection personalized nautical keepsake

Personalized Keepsake

Harbor Collection

Celebrate your favorite harbor, home port, or unforgettable sailing adventure with a personalized Harbor Collection keepsake.

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Additional image credits

© 2026 Fern Valley Supply Company,

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