Since summer 2024, the buzz has been building, even while some of the facts have been distorted in the dive industry rumor mill. In July of that year, I found myself walking the empty corridors of a 990-foot ocean liner docked in Philadelphia. As natural resources chief for Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida, I was there to assess whether the massive vessel could become the Gulf’s next artificial reef. I remember thinking, What will this look like 75 feet underwater?

Our surreal tour ultimately culminated in the purchase of the ship by Okaloosa County, certainly a first for any local government. Then came the difficult part.

The SS United States was built in Newport News, Virginia, and made its maiden voyage in 1952, carrying passengers between Europe and the United States for years before being pulled from service in 1969. From there, it bounced around to Turkey, Ukraine and finally Philadelphia, where it remained for nearly 30 years. Our next job was to tow it safely to Mobile, Alabama, for remediation.

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Bad weather, late-season storms and regulatory hurdles delayed departure. But finally, in February 2025, at low tide, with just 8 feet of clearance, the SS United States slipped under the Walt Whitman Bridge and began its 12-day tow south, arriving in Mobile in early March, two days ahead of schedule.

At the time of publication, remediation work has already been going on for several months. Okaloosa County plans to deploy the wreck 21 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach this fall to coincide with the DEMA Show, an annual dive industry convention that will be hosted in Florida from November 11 to 14, 2025.

"I REMEMBER THINKING, WHAT WILL THIS LOOK LIKE 75 FEET UNDER WATER?"

The location of the artificial reef was carefully considered. It allows for favorable access from Destin’s East Pass and also puts the dive site just over 30 nautical miles from Pensacola. A win for all in the region.

If everything lines up—and there are a lot of things that need to line up—we’ll have a few things to share with the dive industry at this year’s DEMA Show, and divers from around the world, already in the area, will be able to watch this iconic ship settle to the seafloor and experience this iconic reef site firsthand.

A New Purpose

So, why would a Florida county spend $10.1 million to turn a ship into a reef? There are three big reasons.

First, habitat. Offshore Destin-Fort Walton Beach, there just isn’t much natural reef. Artificial reefs provide essential habitat for reef fish and marine life. They become vibrant underwater cities full of biodiversity, which in turn bolsters fishing and diving opportunities.

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Then, there’s tourism and economic development. Over the past five years, our reef program has grown rapidly to become the most active in the country. We’ve deployed 14 large ships—with five more on the horizon—and hundreds of thousands of pounds of concrete and reef modules. The SS United States takes this to the next level. Like the 888-foot USS Oriskany, which the United States will replace as the world’s largest artificial reef, the new dive site is expected to draw tens if not hundreds of thousands of divers to the Panhandle from across the globe. Economic studies predict a large artificial reef can generate over $5 million in direct local economic impact.

And lastly: legacy and preservation. Let’s be honest, the SS United States was headed for the scrapyard. Dozens of organizations tried to repurpose the ship, but the financial obligation was too much and its preservation options were dwindling. By deploying it as an artificial reef, we’re not destroying it. Instead, we’re giving it a second life.

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At the ship’s final resting depth of 180 feet, divers of all skill levels will be able to explore different areas, from the top deck at around 55 feet and the open promenade deck to the section where the propellers used to be at the seafloor.

There will also be a land-based museum that will include artifacts from the ship, including its iconic smoke stacks, radar mast, propeller and anchor, so even nondivers can experience the legacy of the SS United States.

What It Takes to Sink a Ship

Artificial reef construction isn’t simple. It requires balancing human goals, environmental regulations and economic realities. We followed strict federal and state guidelines, including Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers rules. Explosives are not authorized and will not be used when the SS United States is sunk.

The ship’s remediation began as soon as it arrived in Mobile. So far, millions of gallons of fuel and contaminated liquid have been removed from its 120 fuel tanks, a process that is nearly complete as of this writing. Once cleaned, the tanks will be inspected and filled with fresh water before sealing.

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"DIVERS WILL BE ABLE TO VISIT THIS SITE 100 TIMES AND NOT SEE THE SAME AREA TWICE."

Another concern was hazardous materials such as asbestos and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). We conducted more than 300 samples to identify problem areas. While some materials still require removal, most did not exceed regulatory thresholds. Fortunately, one of the ship’s past owners had already gutted the interior and removed most of the asbestos and other materials that required disposal. If that hadn’t been done, the cost would have been tens of millions more and the SS United States might have never become an artificial reef.

Imagine descending on this massive ship and spending 30 minutes exploring its top deck. Your first dive will only scratch the surface, and only about one percent of the structure will have been explored. Now imagine coming back and diving through the promenade deck, down cavernous hallways, into cargo holds and bridge structures. Divers will be able to visit this site 100 times and not see the same area twice.

It will offer exploration opportunities for divers of all skill levels, allowing visitors to see more of the ship as they gain experience. Marine scientists will gain an unparalleled research platform. And the public? They’ll witness a ship once doomed to rot, now reborn as a vibrant marine habitat.