The SS United States sank off the Gulf Coast near Destin-Fort Walton Beach, settling on the seafloor to become the world’s largest artificial reef.
Sink the Liner
Marine contractors opened valves on the former SS United States to flood the hull with seawater in a controlled operation. Federal environmental and explosive regulations prevented the use of explosives to sink the vessel, according to Okaloosa County officials. Workers spent weeks preparing the hull by removing portholes and cutting strategic openings in the decks to let water enter gradually.
Over the decades, the ship changed hands multiple times, remaining docked in Philadelphia from 1996 until February 2025 before being moved to Mobile, Alabama, for cleaning and remediation work. A legal challenge filed by a small nonprofit, the SS United States Preservation Foundation, sought an emergency restraining order to halt the tow-out, but U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers denied the request, saying that the claims relied on rank speculation.
The retirement process proved slower than expected.
“She is an amazing lady who will not lay down without a fight,” said Coleen O’Malley, president of Coleen Marine, before the vessel disappeared beneath the water.
Build an Artificial Habitat
Entering service in 1952, the luxury ocean liner was designed by naval architect William Francis Gibbs. Measuring nearly 1,000 feet in length, it crushed the trans-Atlantic speed record on its maiden voyage by crossing from New York to Europe in just under three days and 11 hours. That record remains unbroken.
Constructed with a hull of two-inch-thick, battle-grade steel, the 990-foot vessel was considered a military asset during the Cold War. Its initial construction cost of more than $70 million was divided among the Transportation Department’s Maritime Administration, the U.S. Navy, and United States Lines, reflecting its capacity to transport thousands of troops if necessary.
During its active years, the ship carried international and Hollywood royalty, including Marilyn Monroe, Sean Connery, Marlon Brando, Coco Chanel, Duke Ellington, Salvador Dali, Walt Disney, Judy Garland, Cary Grant, Prince Rainier of Monaco, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Several U.S. presidents—including Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and a young Bill Clinton traveling as a Rhodes scholar—also sailed aboard the liner.
Rising operating costs and the growth of commercial air travel led to its retirement in 1969.
“This saves the ship from being scrapped for metal or meeting some other demise,” said Trey Goodwin, the chairman of the Okaloosa County Commission.
“For those of us who love shipwrecks and love ships in general, it was way more tragic to see it sitting and rusting away at the dock,” said Susan Gibbs, president of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter of the ship’s designer.
Sunken Hull Creates New Habitat for Marine Life
Okaloosa County partnered in the $13 million project to turn the liner into an underwater attraction for recreational and technical divers. The main deck rests at a depth of about 60 feet below the surface, while the bottom sits at roughly 180 feet.
Marine experts and local officials expect the sunken hull to provide vital habitat for marine life. Researchers said that the extensive internal structures will offer shelter and feeding grounds for local fish species as coral, barnacles, and anemones colonize the steel frame.
“This will just be one more unique, new thing for us to dive,” said Karen Flynn, a wreck diver with the Maryland-based Atlantic Wreck Divers.
Okaloosa County natural resources chief Alex Fogg and tourism director Jennifer Adams said that the project is part of a local initiative to expand diving tourism and marine habitats.
“Certainly this is the biggest that we’ve done,” said Jennifer Adams, Okaloosa County tourism director.
Earlier coverage: SS United States Scuttled off Destin to Become Artificial Reef
