Salt Island
British Virgin Islands · Caribbean
Salt Island's main draw is the RMS Rhone, a 310-ft Royal Mail Ship that went down in an 1867 hurricane in two pieces — bow at 24m, stern at 6m. The wreck is home to thousands of fish, soft coral overgrowth and the occasional spotted drum. The shallow stern section is accessible to Open Water divers.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
RMS Rhone wreck is the iconic dive. Reef cover around the island has declined.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Warmer than usual right now, but not hot enough to bleach.
Fishing
Some fishing is allowed here, in marked zones.
Sources · AGRRA and GCRMN reef surveys · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
Coral cover over time
Live coral cover, by survey year
Across surveys in 2014 and 2024, live coral cover here has fallen from 33% to 22%. Every point is a real survey reading, never a projection.
Live coral cover, percent by year
| Year | Coral cover |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 33% |
| 2024 | 22% |
What you will see
11 species across the dive sites here
Great barracuda
Seen 2 months ago
at RMS Rhone
Least concern
Horse-eye jack
Seen 2 months ago
at RMS Rhone
Least concern
Hawksbill turtle
Seen 2 months ago
at RMS Rhone
Critically endangered
Nurse shark
Seen 2 months ago
at RMS Rhone
Vulnerable
Southern stingray
Seen 2 months ago
at RMS Rhone
Near threatened
Tarpon
Seen 2 months ago
at Painted Walls
Vulnerable
Caribbean spiny lobster
Seen 3 months ago
at Painted Walls
Green moray eel
Seen 3 months ago
at RMS Rhone
Least concern
French angelfish
Seen 4 months ago
at RMS Rhone
Least concern
Silversides
Seasonal visitor
at Painted Walls
Goliath grouper
Rare sighting
at RMS Rhone
Vulnerable
Dive sites
What divers say
The Rhone is what got me into wreck diving. Once you see a ship that big sitting on the seafloor it rewires something.
Good to know
Park permit
BVI National Parks Trust day permit required. Most operators include it.