Retired liner scuttled to form Florida reef
The retired ocean liner SS United States was deliberately sunk off Destin, Florida, on Wednesday, 11 Nov, making it what officials expect to be the world's largest artificial reef. Crews cut holes through the hull and decks so the 302-metre ship would fill with water gradually, sinking in about five hours without explosives. The vessel is expected to rest upright on the Gulf of Mexico floor at 55 metres depth, with its upper deck about 15 metres below the surface. Okaloosa County bought the ship from a conservancy group in 2024, and the project cost roughly $13.5 million.
Key facts
- Crews removed residual fuel, wiring, glass and ductwork over several months before the sinking.
- The ship was launched in 1951 and once carried four presidents and the Mona Lisa.
- The liner completed more than 800 transatlantic crossings in the 1950s and 1960s.
- Dozens of tugboats and recreational vessels accompanied the ship as it was towed out to sea.
- Okaloosa County has sunk hundreds of artificial reefs, many of them ships or boats.
Summarised with AI from 5 sources · Updated 16:41Read our AI policy
Why it matters
The reef is intended to attract divers, anglers and marine life to the Gulf coast.
What changed
The Guardian, Asharq Al-Awsat, The Times of India and BBC News joined as sources
First published from The Independent, Mongabay, Phys.org, Bangkok Post and The Straits Times