The SS United States was deployed on Wednesday night, marking the completion of a two-year project that aimed to turn the former ocean liner into the world’s largest artificial reef.
Financed and organized by Okaloosa County, the project saw the 1952-built vessel undergo an assisted sinking operation off the coast of Florida.
The deployment operation was marked by a significant delay, taking approximately ten hours to complete.
Contractors supervised the operation, which started at 1:00 PM CST, gradually allowing water to flood the vessel’s hull.
When the water level reached strategic openings cut into its hull, the SS United States finally disappeared beneath the Gulf waters, reaching the ocean floor around 10:30 PM CST.
Originally set to take place on Thursday, the deployment was moved up due to weather conditions and was reportedly expected to take just 45 minutes.
The operation was broadcast live on YouTube, while a live viewing party was held by Okaloosa County at AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar in Destin.
The SS United States is now expected to become a tourist attraction and wildlife hotspot, attracting divers and marine species.
Okaloosa County acquired the ship in August 2024, following a dispute between its former owners and the administrators of the pier where it had been docked for almost three decades.
Before being acquired by the Florida county, the vessel spent 13 years under the care of the SS United States Conservancy, a group formed to save the historic ship from being scrapped
Prior to deployment, authorities financed a remediation and cleaning operation, which reportedly emptied all 128 fuel and lubricant tanks onboard the ship.
The vessel was also prepared for its new role, with work including the removal of other hazardous materials and the cutting of strategic openings around its hull and decks.
Historic artifacts, such as its two six-story funnels, were removed from the ship prior to the sinking operation to be preserved for a future museum.
Out of service since 1969, the SS United States was originally built to connect North America and the Europe, operating a regular trans-Atlantic route between New York City and England.
The vessel holds the Blue Riband for the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing by a passenger liner, having completed the route in just 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes.
