The deployment of the SS United States as the world’s largest artificial reef has been pushed to early May 2026, according to a recent report by Fox10 News.

The former ocean liner is currently being prepared for its final voyage, which will end with a controlled sinking operation on the coast of Florida’s Okaloosa County.

The ship’s final resting place will be 22 miles west of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, where it is expected to become a diving site.

As reported by Cruise Industry News earlier this year, the deployment was previously projected to take place in early April 2026.

After sitting in Philadelphia for almost 30 years, the SS United States arrived in Mobile for remediation and decontamination in March 2025.

Carried out by a contractor, the process included the removal of the ship’s two funnels, as well as its main mast. The pieces of the 1952-built vessel are set to be used in a future land-based museum.

The company also removed fuel and oil from the vessel, in addition to other hazardous materials, including non-metal parts.

According to Okaloosa County, the process aims to ensure that the deployment is clean and not harmful to the environment it aims to benefit.

Modifications to the vessel’s hull were also made so that it lands in an upright position following the assisted sinking operation.

While a definitive date for the deployment is still to be confirmed, Okaloosa County plans to livestream the reefing event on the Destin-Fort Walton Beach YouTube channel.

Out of service since 1969, the SS United States was last owned by the SS United States Conservancy Society, which aimed to preserve the historical ocean liner.

The group agreed to sale the vessel to the Okaloosa County in late 2024, after facing a legal battle over the pier where it remained docked between 1996 and 2025.