SS United States sunk as world’s largest artificial reef

On Veterans Day, the SS United States went to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

Okaloosa County officials moved the sinking up by one day. Originally set for Thursday, the deployment was accelerated after forecasts called for heavy winds. The ship slipped beneath the surface around 1 p.m. CST, about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Its upper decks now sit roughly 55 to 60 feet below the waterline, in about 180 feet of water, close to the USS Oriskany, the aircraft carrier sunk as an artificial reef in 2006.

Built in 1952, the ship holds the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing by an ocean liner. It spent the last 30 years sitting idle, mostly in Philadelphia, while preservation groups sought buyers and courts weighed in. None of those efforts worked out.

Okaloosa County bought the ship and oversaw its cleanup at the Port of Mobile, where crews removed chemicals, wiring, plastics and glass to prepare the hull for the sea. The 990-foot hull is now the largest artificial reef in the world.

Hundreds of spectator boats gathered offshore during deployment, with a public viewing event at a waterfront bar in Destin. County officials urged boaters to follow instructions from safety ships overseeing the operation.