- The SS United States was sunk off the coast of Florida
- The vessel will become the world’s largest artificial reef
- The deployment took approximately ten hours
- The ship reached the ocean floor around 10:30pm CST
- The project was organised by Okaloosa County
The SS United States was sunk on Wednesday night off the coast of Florida, completing a two-year project to turn the former ocean liner into the world’s largest artificial reef. Okaloosa County financed and organised the project. The deployment took approximately ten hours.
Contractors supervised the operation which started at 1pm CST and gradually allowed water to flood the vessel’s hull. When the water level reached strategic openings cut into its hull the SS United States disappeared beneath the Gulf waters and reached the ocean floor around 10:30pm CST. The operation was broadcast live on YouTube and a live viewing party was held by Okaloosa County at AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar in Destin.The SS United States is expected to become a tourist attraction and wildlife hotspot attracting divers and marine species. Okaloosa County acquired the ship in August 2024 following a dispute between its former owners and the administrators of the pier where it had been docked for almost three decades. The vessel holds the Blue Riband for the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing by a passenger liner, completed in 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes.
