Under a bright moon June 20, five divers rolled backwards off a dinghy near Salt Island. Above them rose Black Rock Point, which claimed the Royal Mail Ship Rhone and the lives of 123 crewmembers and passengers during a hurricane on Oct. 29, 1867.
In the inky waters below lay the remains of the Rhone, which they explored over the next hour using bright waterproof torches. The shipwreck — which became the Virgin Islands’ first national marine park in 1980 — is the crown jewel of the territory’s ubiquitous dive sites. But many scuba-certified tourists are more focused on sightseeing than the Rhone’s tragic history.
As part of Wreck Week this year, a new cultural activity was held to help change that. To bring attention to history of the Rhone and the island where it wrecked, the VI National Parks Trust and the BVI Scuba Organisation collaborated to organise a commemorative wreath-laying ceremony the afternoon of June 20 on Salt Island. As about two dozen attendees gathered around, NPT Director Dr.
Cassander Titley-O’Neal opened the event by explaining that it’s important for the dive industry to connect with the territory’s history. Then she introduced five women who grew up on the island and passed the microphone to some of them. “Yes, growing up on Salt Island was fun,” recalled Daisy Grant, who attended the event with three daughters.
“We were able to play as we like; go in the sea whenever we wanted. And it was fun. Before, we could even eat the salt.
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