Photo: JEWEL SAMAD / AFP / Getty Images
The historic ocean liner, the SS United States, is set to embark on its final journey from Mobile, Alabama, to become the world's largest artificial reef off the Florida coast. The ship will be towed on Monday (November 9) and is scheduled to be sunk on Thursday (November 12), approximately 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida. This project aims to attract divers and boost tourism in the area.
The SS United States, which was the largest passenger ship built in the United States when it launched in 1952, has undergone extensive cleaning and preparation for its new role. All fuel and lubricant tanks have been emptied, and historic artifacts have been removed for preservation. The ship has also received a 10-year reauthorization permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, as reported by Fox10TV.
Despite legal challenges from the SS United States Preservation Foundation, which expressed concerns about potential environmental hazards, a federal judge denied an emergency bid to stop the project. The judge noted that the plaintiffs had not provided a verified complaint or accounted for the costs of a delay. The foundation has filed another request, but Okaloosa County plans to proceed as scheduled, according to DeeperBlue.com.
The sinking of the SS United States coincides with the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations and includes plans for a museum dedicated to the ship's history. The project is expected to draw thousands of visitors annually, similar to the success of other artificial reefs like the USS Oriskany, which attracts over 10,000 divers per year.
Nick Tomecek, an Okaloosa County spokesman, highlighted the global attention the project has received, stating, "The news about this artificial reef has gone worldwide. So we’re gonna see visitors to this area that we’ve never seen before just because of the ship." The ship's top decks will rest at a diver-friendly depth, making it accessible for recreational divers while preserving its monumental scale for technical divers.