SS United States starts sinking for artificial reef

The SS United States began a controlled sinking off Florida on Wednesday to become what officials describe as the world's largest artificial reef.

Experts opened valves on the 990-foot, or 302-meter, former ocean liner as part of a planned flooding operation about 25 miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach in the Gulf of Mexico.

Florida's Okaloosa County bought the long-decommissioned ship from a conservancy group for $1 million in 2024, betting that the reef will draw divers, fishers and visitors. Cleaning, environmental remediation, towing, safety work and the sinking cost about $13.5 million.

The SS United States made its maiden voyage in 1952 and completed more than 800 transatlantic crossings in the 1950s and 1960s. The vessel was longer than the Titanic and held the transatlantic speed record.

The ship is set to rest at a depth of 180 feet, with its top decks about 55 feet below the surface, reachable for beginner divers. Until now, the largest artificial reef was an aircraft carrier sunk 20 years ago off Pensacola, Florida.