On Wednesday, the SS United States went to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. The former ocean liner now rests about 180 feet below the surface off Destin, Florida, where it will serve as an artificial reef.
Dozens of onlookers and officials watched the controlled deployment, known as scuttling. Reports differ on how long it took. The main report put the sinking at about eight hours, while NPR said it took five. The Guardian reported that the ship was deployed at about 2:40 p.m. ET and settled around 10 p.m.
A new role on the seafloor
The wreck joins a long stretch of artificial reefs, including 580 other decommissioned vessels and structures, off Destin-Fort Walton Beach. The local government described the sinking in a release. “A new chapter has begun in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida, where the legendary SS United States, once the fastest ocean liner in the world, has completed her final voyage to become the World’s Largest Artificial Reef,” the release said.
The site will draw divers, from newcomers to experienced wreck divers. The structure is also meant to give marine life a foundation to grow on. Officials expect red snapper, grouper, amberjack, mackerel and tuna to move in, according to the Guardian.
For a closer look at how busy the ocean gets around big structures, watch this Drone Footage of a Fin Whale Feeding captured by a Welsh fisherman.
Divers are already planning trips. Karen Flynn, a wreck diver and maritime enthusiast, said the wreck would be “way more tragic” to see rusting at a dock than resting on the seafloor. Her diving club, the Maryland-based Atlantic Wreck Divers, booked tickets and a charter boat within days of the sinking date being set, NPR reported.
Preparing the hull
Before the sinking, the ship went through a years-long remediation process. Crews stripped out toxic materials, including green neotex exterior floor covering and paint. The ventilation system, wiring and propeller also came out.
The propeller will be stored for a land-based museum that will accompany the dive site. The SS United States Conservancy plans a museum in Florida near the dive embarkation sites, where visitors can see artifacts.
Alex Fogg, natural resources chief for Destin-Fort Walton Beach, called the project’s scale “an incredible moment for our team and for the future of marine conservation.” He said the wreck offers a chance to study how an artificial reef of this size changes over time.
From liner to scrap candidate
The ship was designed by naval architect William Francis Gibbs. It crossed the Atlantic in less than four days on its maiden voyage in 1952, setting a transatlantic speed record that NPR and the Guardian both noted. It carried passengers between 1952 and 1969, when it was retired.
The liner’s 1952 debut belongs to the same postwar optimism that produced pocket-sized technology, such as The Revolutionary Impact of the 1954 Regency TR-1, the first transistor radio.
The ship once transported four presidents, NPR reported. After retirement, the ship sat in Philadelphia for decades while owners tried and failed to restore it or make it profitable. In 2009, the non-profit SS United States Conservancy began stewarding the vessel. Port authorities raised the daily dockage fee to $1,700 in 2021, a cost the conservancy could no longer cover.
In 2024, the ship faced eviction from its Philadelphia pier. Rising maintenance costs complicated preservation efforts. Okaloosa County, Florida, bought the ship for $1 million, the Guardian reported. Susan Gibbs, the conservancy’s president and co-founder and granddaughter of the ship’s designer, said the ship “will become a vibrant and dynamic marine habitat.”
Measuring the payoff
The ship now stands upright in its intended position. Its upper decks sit about 55 feet below the surface, according to the Guardian, and its uppermost deck is accessible to divers.
Okaloosa County expects a financial return.
He also warned that too much reef building could bring diminishing returns as visitor interests shift.
Scientists expect the wreck to attract life quickly. The Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail says earlier wrecks have attracted snapper, grouper, amberjack, angelfish and barracuda.
The sinking also closes a chapter for the industry. Maritime historian Sal Mercogliano said the jet age ended the liner’s reign. “Her sinking will mark the end of the great ocean liners.”
H/T dezeen.com
Frequently asked questions
Where is the SS United States now located after being sunk?
The SS United States now rests about 180 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, off Destin, Florida. The ship was sunk in a controlled deployment known as scuttling, and it will serve as an artificial reef.
Who bought the SS United States and how much did they pay?
Okaloosa County, Florida, bought the ship for $1 million, according to the Guardian. The ship had faced eviction from its Philadelphia pier in 2024 before the county acquired it.
What fish will move in around the sunken SS United States?
Officials expect red snapper, grouper, amberjack, mackerel, and tuna to move in around the wreck, according to the Guardian. The structure is also meant to give marine life a foundation to grow on.
How many other artificial reefs are off Destin-Fort Walton Beach?
The SS United States joins 580 other decommissioned vessels and structures that serve as artificial reefs off Destin-Fort Walton Beach. This long stretch of reefs is where the new wreck now sits.
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