Crews sink SS United States off Florida to create an artificial reef

Crews deliberately sank the SS United States off Destin, Florida, on 11 November, turning the former ocean liner into an artificial reef. The ship settled upright on the seabed, just feet from its intended location, early sonar and remotely operated vehicle inspections showed.

The liner had spent years docked in Philadelphia after proposals to turn it into a museum or floating hotel failed. A federal court ordered it to leave its berth, leaving it facing possible scrapping without another place to dock or a viable project. Okaloosa County acquired it in October 2024 for conversion into a reef, an alternative to demolition.

Preparing the ship for sinking

The county said workers emptied and cleaned the ship’s fuel and lubricant tanks and carried out environmental cleanup throughout its decks. Crews also removed portholes and cut openings between decks so seawater could enter. They sank the vessel by controlled flooding rather than explosives.

Preservation advocates raised environmental concerns in a last-minute legal challenge, but an emergency request to stop the sinking was denied, gCaptain said.

A reef and a museum

Okaloosa County says reefs prepared this way create marine habitat and can benefit marine life, fishing and tourism. Scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Louisiana State University plan to monitor biological, physical and chemical changes around the vessel as marine organisms colonize it.

The liner entered service in 1952 and set a transatlantic speed record on its first voyage that remains unbeaten by an ocean liner. It retired in 1969. Its funnels, radar mast and other artifacts were saved for a planned shoreside museum and visitor experience about the ship’s history.