Sunken SS United States Becomes World’s Largest Artificial Reef in Gulf of Mexico
Divers have begun exploring the SS United States, which was scuttled at a depth of 180 feet off Destin, Florida, as part of a $13.5 million artificial-reef project.
The historic ocean liner SS United States was deliberately sunk on Wednesday night about 25 miles southwest of Destin, Florida, creating what officials say is the world’s largest artificial reef. The 990-foot vessel now rests upright on the seafloor at a depth of 180 feet, with its top deck only 60 feet below the surface, making it accessible to recreational divers.
Video captured from the research vessel Explorer, operating out of Cape May, New Jersey, shows the ship’s interior and exterior shortly after the controlled sinking, which was carried out by Okaloosa County. The county’s $13.5 million project is intended to attract divers, anglers and marine life to the site.
"The preparation was very well executed," said shipwreck diver Rustin Cassway, one of the first to examine the wreck. He noted that the liner had been thoroughly cleaned before scuttling and observed fish gathering around the deck.
The SS United States, which completed more than 800 Atlantic crossings after its 1952 maiden voyage, had been moored on the Delaware River in Philadelphia for nearly three decades while preservation efforts continued. Okaloosa County plans to incorporate the ship’s original smokestacks into a museum honoring the liner’s legacy.