In a hilarious and ironic turn of events, Okaloosa County, Florida sank the SS United States to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico on Veterans Day, transforming it into the world’s largest artificial reef to provide shelter for local marine life following the decimation of human-caused coral reefs in the area. The SS United States is longer than the Titanic, measuring 990 feet from bow to stern and 17 stories tall. It was once the world’s fastest ocean liner, known for carrying royalty and celebrities between the United States and Europe from its maiden voyage in 1952 until its retirement in 1969.
In fact, it still holds the record for the world’s fastest transatlantic liner, completing the journey in 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes at an average speed of 35.59 knots, and it reached top speeds of more than 38.3 knots, or 44 mph, during trials. It reminds us that even once great nations – er, ships – can find themselves so far removed from their former glory that it’s better for them to be totally gutted and sunk to the bottom of the ocean than to waste time and resources trying to resurrect them, only to have them forever be outdated and irrelevant in a modern world.
Okaloosa County had ulterior motives beyond habitat restoration, not surprisingly
The SS United States was originally designed to be converted from a luxury liner to a troopship in the event of war, as was the also retired Queen Mary, with the capacity to transport 14,000 troops 10,000 miles without resupply, although the SS United States was never used in war. It was powered by four 1,000 psi Westinghouse steam turbines and eight boilers, which combined produced a staggering total output of 240,000 horsepower.
After the ship’s retirement in 1969, the SS United States “spent its years haunting old shipyards while unsuccessful plans to restore it came and went,” according to Northeastern Global News.. Okaloosa County purchased the ship in 2024 after facing a court-ordered eviction from its former berth at Pier 82 along the Delaware River in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where it remained for nearly three decades.
Okaloosa County chose to sink the ship in its waters to attract diver tourism because its upper funnels are expected to be easily accessible just 55 feet below the surface, while its keel will be at a depth of 180 feet. Before that, the largest artificial reef on the planet was the 910-foot-long USS Oriskany, a U.S. warship intentionally sunk in 2006. The SS United States Conservancy plans to commemorate this remarkable ship by building a museum and visitor center in Florida.
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