Florida to sink former liner SS United States on 12 November as giant artificial reef

The planned sinking

Okaloosa County in Florida plans to scuttle the SS United States, a transatlantic liner more than 300 metres long, in the Gulf of Mexico, where the county says it will become the largest artificial reef in the world. The sinking is set for Thursday, 12 November 2026, if weather conditions allow, about 40 kilometres southwest of Destin on Florida's northwest coast. The ship is due to be moved to Florida on 10 November as the step before it goes down. Once it reaches the site, its hatches will be opened so the hull can settle on the seabed. The county bought the ship from the SS United States Conservancy in 2024, and the wreck will be added to the Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail, a diving route.

A liner built for speed and war

The ship was designed by William Francis Gibbs with financial support from the US Army, and it made its maiden crossing from New York to Europe in 1952 in 3 days and 11 hours, a time that still stands. It could carry just under 2,000 passengers in peacetime, and in an emergency it could take up to 14,000 soldiers, according to Focus. Passengers over the years included John F. Kennedy, Harry S. Truman, Marlon Brando, Grace Kelly and Salvador Dalí, as El País reports. Air travel took over most transatlantic journeys from 1958, and the ship was withdrawn from service in 1969. After that it was moored in Philadelphia for almost three decades.

Preparing the wreck

After the county's purchase, Rzeczpospolita reports that a further 13 million dollars went into preparing the wreck, including the removal of hazardous substances. Technicians cleaned more than 100 fuel tanks and cleared the decks, the Portuguese broadcaster SIC Notícias reports. El País says the ship underwent conditioning in Mobile, Alabama, where cleaning removed materials that could pose an environmental risk. Holes were also cut in several parts of the hull so that water and air could flow in and out during the sinking.

Purchase (2024)1

Preparation for sinking13

Purchase (2024)

1 USD million

Preparation for sinking

13 USD million

Data from the article text

Objections and possible delay

Environmental groups have filed a legal action warning that sinking the ship could create environmental risks, and that action could delay the plan. Their main concern, according to El País, is pollution of the ocean from residue left on the vessel. County officials say the necessary work has been done to prevent damage to the environment and that regulators oversee artificial reef projects to meet federal and state standards. Alex Fogg, who heads natural resources for Okaloosa County, told NPR that the sinking would bring environmental and economic benefits, including biodiversity and divers. Fogg also said there was no funding or viable plan to restore the ship to service, so a second life as a reef was the better option.

What comes next

Marine researchers expect fish to move onto the wreck within hours or days of the sinking. The wreck is expected to lie about 55 metres deep, and divers could reach the upper deck at roughly 17 metres. Chris Stallings, a marine scientist, said artificial reefs are tools rather than inherently good or bad solutions. Historian Sal Mercogliano said the sinking would mark the end of the great ocean liners. The SS United States Conservancy plans to build a museum in Florida to display the funnels that were removed from the ship.