Okaloosa County will send the SS United States to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico on Nov. 12, creating what officials say will be the world’s largest artificial reef.
County officials said they will tow the 990-foot liner from Mobile, Alabama, in the days before the sinking. Operations are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at coordinates about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
According to the county, tourism revenue and partner contributions fully funded the project. Officials say the sunken ship will provide habitat for marine life, create a premier destination for scuba divers, and strengthen local fisheries, all of which feed the Panhandle’s visitor economy.
The vessel carries real history. In 1952, the SS United States set the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing by an ocean liner. Decades later, the rusting ship was repeatedly threatened with the scrap heap and with sale to metal recyclers. Okaloosa County’s plan gives it a very different final chapter.
The public can take part in the send-off in several ways.
- A ceremony with light refreshments will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center.
- AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar in Destin will host a viewing party at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, with video on a large outdoor screen.
- The deployment will also be streamed live at thessus.com.
Officials expect hundreds of vessels to gather at the site and have asked spectators to follow the instructions of safety boats stationed there.
The schedule depends on the weather. County officials have not announced backup dates if conditions force a delay.
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