Legendary ocean liner SS United States to become world's largest artificial reef

The 990-foot (302-meter) vessel will be submerged about 25 miles (40 kilometers) offshore, where it is expected to settle on the seabed at a depth of roughly 180 feet (55 meters), CNN reported.

Once sunk, it will become the largest of 21 vessels on the Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail, a collection of underwater sites popular with divers and marine life.

Launched in 1952, the SS United States set a transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage, crossing from New York to Europe in less than three days and 11 hours. The record still stands.

The ship carried four sitting, former or future U.S. presidents — Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton — along with celebrities including Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando and Sean Connery.

Built largely from aluminum to reduce weight, the liner was designed to be converted into a military transport capable of carrying up to 14,000 troops.

But the rise of commercial air travel ended its reign. The vessel was retired in 1969 and spent decades in port before Florida's Okaloosa County purchased it for $1 million in 2024.

It was subsequently towed to Mobile, Alabama, where workers removed hazardous materials and prepared it for sinking.

Marine scientists expect fish to gather around the wreck within days, while algae, corals and other organisms will gradually colonize its surfaces. The ship is also expected to attract divers and support local tourism.

The nonprofit SS United States Conservancy plans to preserve the ship's history in a future Florida museum, including its two massive funnels, which were removed before the sinking.

If the ship settles upright, its upper decks could lie just 55–60 feet (17–18 meters) below the surface, making parts of the wreck accessible to recreational divers.