Historic SS United States to be Scuttled as World’s Largest Artificial Reef off Florida
The former record-breaking ocean liner will be sunk off the Florida coast after a $1 million purchase and $13 million cleanup, creating a massive artificial reef.
The SS United States, once the fastest transatlantic liner, is set to be deliberately sunk off the Florida coast to become the world’s largest artificial reef. After spending nearly three decades docked in Philadelphia, the ship was purchased by Okaloosa County for $1 million, with an additional $13 million earmarked for environmental remediation and preparation for scuttling.
Okaloosa County’s natural resources chief, Alex Fogg, said the project will create a habitat for marine life, adding, "This will be the largest purposely-sunk artificial reef in the world." The vessel will be positioned about 20 nautical miles between Pensacola and Destin/Ft. Walton Beach after extensive cleaning at a shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.
Supporters of the ship, including Susan Gibbs of the SS United States Conservancy, expressed mixed emotions. Gibbs noted, "She still casts a spell; there's something about her," while tourism director Jennifer Adams admitted, "I cried this morning when I walked on board." The plan also includes preserving the ship’s two large funnels as part of a future museum exhibit featuring artifacts such as a bar from the original tourist-class lounge.
The scuttling, scheduled for this week, marks the end of the liner’s more than seven-decade legacy that began with a maiden voyage in 1952 and concluded with its withdrawal from service in 1969.