The historic ocean liner SS United States is resting upright on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico after its controlled sinking on Wednesday completing its transformation into the world’s largest artificial reef.
Early sonar surveys and remotely operated vehicle inspections confirmed that the 990-foot vessel settled within feet of its intended location, about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin, Fla., in approximately 180 feet of water. Its uppermost deck is about 60 feet below the surface.
The sinking, conducted by Coleen Marine on behalf of Okaloosa County, Fla., took several hours, longer than initially anticipated. The vessel briefly rolled to port as it disappeared beneath the surface Wednesday evening, raising questions about whether it would settle upright on the seabed.
The safety zone surrounding the site was lifted Thursday, allowing divers to begin exploring the wreck. Among the first was Rustin Cassway of the Cape May, N.J.-based research vessel Explorer, who reported finding the ship upright and already attracting fish.
The sinking followed more than a year of preparation at a Mobile, Ala., shipyard, where contractors removed hazardous materials and modified the vessel for use as an artificial reef. The operation was moved up one day because of forecast high winds later in the week.
Okaloosa County purchased the former passenger liner in 2024 after decades of unsuccessful efforts to preserve it. A federal judge rejected an emergency request to halt the sinking just days before the ship departed Mobile under tow.
The county expects the wreck to become a major diving attraction and marine habitat. Researchers also plan to study how marine organisms colonize the vessel and how the artificial reef develops over time.
