The British newspaper The Guardian reported on November 11 that the American ocean liner SS United States, which once held the record for transatlantic speed, was deliberately sunk off the coast of Destin, Florida, becoming the world’s largest artificial reef.
The nearly 1,000-foot (approximately 305 meters) vessel, built in the United States, was launched in 1952 and set a transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage. After 17 years of service, it was retired in 1969. Deployment began around 2:40 p.m. Eastern Time on the day of the event, with water ingress starting before 5:00 p.m., and the ship fully sank to the seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico by approximately 10:00 p.m., at a depth of about 180 feet (roughly 55 meters), with its upper deck remaining about 55 feet (around 17 meters) below the surface.
For years, the ship had been moored in Philadelphia, where maintenance costs steadily increased. In 2021, port fees rose to $1,700 per day, a burden the nonprofit preservation group could no longer sustain. In 2024, Okaloosa County in Florida acquired the vessel for $1 million, with plans to transform it into an artificial reef to provide new habitat for species such as red snapper and grouper, while also potentially serving as a site for diving and public visitation.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1881655111293002/
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