Historic SS United States to be sunk in its new fate as the world’s largest artificial reef

THE TAKEAWAY

• The SS United States will be intentionally sunk off the Gulf Coast today to become the world's largest artificial reef.
• According to the SS United States Conservancy, the vessel still holds the transatlantic speed record for an ocean liner.
• The vessel was designed for conversion into a high-speed troop transport for the U.S. military, if the need arose.
• FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell provided live coverage of the historic sinking.

DESTIN, Fla. — The SS United States, which set the transatlantic speed record in her 1952 maiden voyage, will be intentionally sunk off the Gulf Coast Wednesday afternoon to become the world's largest artificial reef.  The historic ocean liner once crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 3 days and 10 hours, according to the Historic American Engineering Record. 

The 990-foot vessel will rest around 180 feet beneath the water's surface and serve a dual purpose as a diving attraction and an important marine ecosystem for the region.

The original sinking date was set for Thursday but had to be moved up due to expected strong winds.

Okaloosa County officials told FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell that sustained winds needed to be below 17 mph and waves below 3 feet to safely sink the vessel.

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"With a large reef like the SS United States, she's so big that the wind is actually a factor — that wind could potentially move her off the site where we need to deploy her," Nick Tomecek, public information officer for Okaloosa County, told Campbell.

The ship was retired in 1969 and docked in Philadelphia from 1996 until February 2025, when it was purchased by Okaloosa County, Florida, and towed to Mobile, Alabama, to be converted into an artificial reef.

Parts of the northern Gulf lack natural reefs, and the SS United States would help support a wide variety of fish and other marine life while attracting tourists and fishermen, Tomecek told Campbell.

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"When we learned about the SS United States, and that it would possibly go to the scrapyard, we said, ‘Hey, we can purchase that and make the world’s largest artificial reef,’" Tomecek said.

The ocean liner was also originally constructed with two purposes in mind.

According to the SS United States Conservancy, the vessel was developed after World War II by the United States Lines company and the U.S. government as the fastest luxury liner of its era that could be converted into a troop carrier that would be capable of carrying 14,000 service members for 10,000 miles without refueling.

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The conservancy says the SS United States achieved a top speed of 44 mph in her sea trials, and still holds the transatlantic speed record, noting that modern cruise ships generally travel at speeds of 28 mph.

Warren Jones, a current conservancy board member who once sailed from New York to France aboard the ship, shared his lasting memories of the voyage with Campbell.

"The ship going at this incredible speed — it was almost dangerous sometimes for a kid my size to go out on the deck," Jones recalled.

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"Those engines, you felt the vibrations and sailed past the Statue of Liberty. It was unforgettable."

The SS United States carried over one million passengers in her lifetime, the conservancy said.

Jone said the conservancy plans to open a ship museum in Destin, Florida.