Once the fastest US liner, SS United States is set to become the world’s largest artificial reef

The SS United States, a 990-foot ocean liner that carried presidents, dignitaries and celebrities across the Atlantic, is preparing for a final voyage that will take it from a historic passenger ship to an underwater attraction. More than seven decades after its maiden voyage in 1952, the vessel is scheduled to be sunk off Florida’s Gulf Coast in November 2026, where it is expected to become the world’s largest artificial reef. The deployment is planned for the second week of November, subject to final arrangements and weather conditions, according to the SS United States Conservancy.The ship is currently in Mobile, Alabama, where it has undergone environmental remediation and preparations for its planned conversion. Okaloosa County, Florida, which purchased the vessel to prevent it from being scrapped, intends to place it approximately 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin–Fort Walton Beach in the Gulf of Mexico. The project aims to create marine habitat while establishing a new attraction for divers, anglers and tourists.A record-breaking transatlantic linerThe SS United States made its maiden voyage on July 3, 1952, travelling from New York to Europe. According to the Smithsonia...