The retired ocean liner SS United States was scheduled to be intentionally sunk off the coast of Florida to become the world’s largest artificial reef in a $13.5 million project.
The historic 990-foot vessel, which measures longer than the Titanic and once held the transatlantic speed record after its 1952 maiden voyage, was scuttled in approximately 180 feet of water about 25 miles southwest of Destin, according to reporting from The Associated Press. Crews flooded the ship rather than using demolition explosives, following federal environmental and explosives rules cited by Okaloosa County spokesperson Nick Tomecek in reports carried by The Weather Channel.
Workers Accelerate Scuttling Operations After Dangerous Weather Forecasts
The scuttling schedule was accelerated after dangerous weather forecasts prompted organizers to hasten deployment operations, as detailed by FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Prior to the final towing from Mobile, Alabama, workers cleaned and emptied fuel and lubricant tanks, remediated 12 decks, and cut 10-foot by 10-foot holes in internal decks while removing over 400 portholes to facilitate flooding, according to KOMO.
More than 3,000 workers originally helped build the SS United States in Virginia during 1950 and 1951.
During its career spanning hundreds of transatlantic crossings, the vessel carried legendary figures including Marlon Brando, Coco Chanel, Duke Ellington, Salvador Dali, Walt Disney, Judy Garland, Cary Grant, former King Edward VIII, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, and comedian Jackie Gleason, alongside former presidents Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and a young Bill Clinton on his way to Oxford University in 1968.
Organizers also removed the ship’s twin 65-foot smokestacks before sinking the hull, intending to feature them as centerpiece displays in a future land-based museum honoring the liner’s history, reported FOX 13 Tampa Bay. The top deck of the submerged liner rests approximately 60 feet below the surface, positioning the site within reach of both novice and experienced scuba divers, as noted by The Independent.
Okaloosa County Acquires Vessel Amid Federal Lawsuit
Florida’s Okaloosa County acquired the vessel in October 2024 from the SS United States Conservancy, which had owned the ship since February 2011, as outlined by The Maritime Executive.
Days before the planned tow-out, the nonprofit SS United States Preservation Foundation filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida challenging the project’s compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act, though a federal judge rejected an initial emergency request to stop the sinking, according to The Maritime Executive and The Scuba News.
“[The ship] has always been this unabashedly American symbol that brings so many people together,” Conservancy President Susan Gibbs told CBS News said reflecting on the ship's transition, Susan Gibbs shared mixed emotions regarding the vessel's fate.
Other advocates emphasized the rescue from scrapping. David Lawrence, a board member for the SS United States Conservancy, stated:
It was our goal to make sure that she wasn’t lost forever, said David Lawrence, a member of the board for the SS United States Conservancy.
Economic and Ecological Impact on the Gulf Coast
County officials said that the shipwreck rests near roughly 500 existing artificial reefs, including the 2006 scuttling of the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany located about 12 nautical miles away near Pensacola, providing a new habitat for marine species such as tuna, marlin, and swordfish while increasing regional tourism, according to The Weather Channel Channel and The Independent.
Earlier coverage: SS United States Set to Become World's Largest Artificial Reef
