SS United States, once the fastest ocean liner, sunk off Florida as artificial reef

The sinking

The SS United States went under on Wednesday, 11 November, in the Gulf of Mexico about 40 kilometres off the Florida coast, near Destin. Okaloosa County organised the operation, which officials described as a controlled sinking. Federal environmental and explosives rules prevented the use of explosives, county spokesperson Nick Tomecek said. Crews instead cut large holes in the decks, removed more than 400 portholes and opened valves so water could flood the hull. The descent took far longer than organisers had expected, and by nightfall much of the hull was still visible in the dark water. The ship tilted and disappeared around 9pm local time according to The Independent, while Axios put full submersion at about 10pm.

Before the vessel vanished, Coleen O'Malley, president of Coleen Marine, the company carrying out the sinking, described the ship in these words.

“She is an amazing lady who will not lay down without a fight.”

Depth and purpose

On the seabed the ship will sit upright at about 180 feet, roughly 25 miles southwest of Destin, between Panama City and Pensacola. Its upper decks lie between 55 and 60 feet below the surface, depending on the source, a depth that suits less experienced divers. Organisers want to attract divers and fishing enthusiasts and create a habitat for tuna, marlin and swordfish. Before the sinking, crews removed the smokestacks, the radar mast and a five-blade propeller, which Axios says will be incorporated into a land-based museum nearby. Several compartments deemed unsafe were sealed so divers cannot reach them. The project was reported at $13.5 million, while Axios put the sinking cost at at least $13.6 million, plus $130,000 for security and watch boats, and SIC Notícias put the operation above 12 million euros.

From Philadelphia to the Gulf

The liner was launched in 1952 and made its inaugural Atlantic crossing that year in 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, a time La Stampa describes as still unbeaten for a liner. It was retired in 1969, and Axios says it was moored on the Delaware River in Philadelphia from 1996. In 2024 it was evicted from Pier 82 over back rent, and Okaloosa County bought it for $1 million to become an artificial reef. Seznam Zprávy reports that the ship was towed to a shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, before its final voyage. Archives cited by HotNews list John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe among its passengers.

What comes next

Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will follow the colonisation of the wreck from its first weeks, watching how corals, sponges and other organisms settle on the hull, La Stampa reports. The wreck joins more than 500 smaller artificial reefs already present in the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area, according to Seznam Zprávy. Axios notes that the upper portions sit well within reach of less experienced divers, which is the purpose of the shallow setting. The timeline below sets out the key moments of Wednesday evening.