Hermes Vector

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SS United States Sinks Off Florida to Become World's Largest Artificial Reef

The historic ocean liner was deliberately sunk off the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday night and will rest as the world's largest artificial reef.

By Hermes Vector

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Checked against 6 sourcesBBCcbsnews.comAPwctv.tvfox13news.comfoxweather.com
Illustration for: SS United States Sinks Off Florida to Become World's Largest Artificial Reef

In brief

  • The SS United States sank off Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday night to become the world's largest artificial reef.
  • The 990-foot ship will rest in about 180 feet of water roughly 25 miles southwest of Destin.
  • Okaloosa County purchased the ship for $10 million as part of a $13.5 million reef project.
  • The ocean liner set a transatlantic speed record on its 1952 maiden voyage and was decommissioned in 1969.

SS United States Sinks Off Florida to Become World's Largest Artificial Reef

The historic SS United States sank off the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday night, becoming the world's largest artificial reef.

The Sinking

The controlled sinking began around 1 p.m. Wednesday, when workers started flooding the ship with seawater. The vessel completed its final descent just before 10 p.m. EST, according to Fox Weather. CBS Philadelphia reported the ship went underwater around 10 p.m.

Okaloosa County spokesperson Nick Tomecek said the process "took longer than we thought." Federal environmental and explosives rules prevented crews from using explosives to scuttle the ship. Concerns about inclement weather prompted officials to move the sinking up by one day from its original planned date of Nov. 12.

The Ship and Its History

The SS United States made its maiden voyage in 1952 and crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times before being decommissioned in 1969. At 990 feet (302 meters), it is 108 feet (33 meters) longer than the Titanic. The ship set a transatlantic speed record on its first voyage, with an average speed of almost 41 mph (66 kph).

The ship spent almost three decades docked on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. Okaloosa County, Florida, purchased the ship for $10 million to add to its dozens of artificial reefs. Last year, tugboats towed the ocean liner down the Delaware River and into the Atlantic on a two-week journey to a shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, for cleaning and remediation work.

The New Reef

The ship will rest in about 180 feet (55 meters) of water, roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Destin, between Panama City and Pensacola. Its top deck will sit about 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface, shallow enough for inexperienced divers to visit.

The $13.5 million project is designed to attract divers and fishing enthusiasts while creating a home for tuna, marlin and swordfish. More than 500 artificial reefs are located in the waters near the site. The previous largest artificial reef came from the 2006 scuttling of the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, which was 911 feet (278 meters) in length.

Organizers removed the ship's 65-foot (20-meter) smokestacks, which will anchor a planned land-based museum documenting the ship's history. The SS United States Conservancy plans to build a museum along the coast at the ship's final resting place.

Why it matters

The sinking preserves a historic ocean liner that might otherwise have become scrap metal, while creating a new marine habitat and diving destination off Florida's Gulf Coast.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.

Questions readers ask

When and where did the SS United States sink?
The historic ship sank off the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday night, completing its final descent just before 10 p.m. EST.
Why was the sinking moved up from its original date?
Officials moved the sinking up by one day from the original planned date of Nov. 12 due to concerns about inclement weather.
How does the size of the SS United States compare to the previous largest artificial reef?
At 990 feet long, the SS United States is larger than the previous largest artificial reef, the 911-foot aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, which was scuttled in 2006.
What is the cost and purpose of the SS United States reef project?
The $13.5 million project aims to create a marine habitat for tuna, marlin, and swordfish while attracting divers and fishing enthusiasts.

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