Local
SS United States Scuttled Off Florida Panhandle to Become World's Largest Artificial Reef
The famed ocean liner SS United States was sunk in a controlled operation about 20 nautical miles off the Gulf Coast of Florida on Wednesday, where it will become the world's largest artificial reef. The $13 million project, funded by Okaloosa County tourist tax revenue, aims to boost the Panhandle's economy and provide marine habitat.
The SS United States, the legendary ocean liner that once held the transatlantic speed record, was sent to the ocean floor on Wednesday in a controlled, explosive-free sinking about 20 nautical miles off the Gulf Coast of Florida, between the Destin-Fort Walton Beach region and Pensacola. The 1,000-foot-long ship will become the world's largest artificial reef, adding to its storied maritime legacy.
The hourslong operation began Wednesday afternoon and concluded later in the evening. The ship now rests upright on the seabed, thanks to strategically cut holes designed to ensure stability during the sinking.
Before the sinking, Okaloosa County, which purchased the vessel from the SS United States Conservancy for about $1 million in 2024, sent it to Mobile, Alabama, for a yearlong preparation process. Crews removed all environmentally unsafe materials, including non-metal items, wiring and fuel, in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
The approximately $13 million project was funded by county tourist tax revenue. Local officials hope the reef will provide a year-round destination for divers and a jolt to the Panhandle economy.
"I think it's going to be like Disney World," Jocelyn Collins, general manager for Emerald Coast Scuba, told CBS News. "You know, we're going to line people up and take pictures underwater."
The Destin-Fort Walton Beach area already boasts about 580 artificial reefs off its coastline, the most for any region in the country, according to the local tourism bureau.
The SS United States first set sail in 1952, setting a transatlantic speed record for an ocean liner that still stands. Over two decades of service, it carried presidents, royalty, celebrities and legendary CBS News broadcaster Walter Cronkite. Its design was so revolutionary that the Pentagon kept it secret. The ship was retired from service in 1969 and had been docked in Philadelphia since 1996 before the county acquired it.
The sinking marks the culmination of a yearslong effort to preserve the vessel's legacy while creating new marine habitat. The reef is expected to attract divers and marine life, offering an economic boost to the region while honoring the ship's history.