The historic ocean liner SS United States was deliberately sunk in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida and has begun a new life as the world’s largest artificial reef. The operation off the Florida coast lasted for hours, and the ship disappeared beneath the water at around 9:00 p.m. local time, The Associated Press reported.
The sinking is part of a $13.5 million project aimed at attracting more divers and fishing enthusiasts to the area. The wreck is expected to create a habitat for tuna, marlin and swordfish.
The liner remained above water longer than expected
SS United States is 990 feet, or 302 meters, long, making it 33 meters longer than the “Titanic.” The ship is supposed to rest on the seabed at a depth of about 180 feet, or 55 meters, while its upper deck will remain at approximately 60 feet, or 18 meters, below the surface. The site is located about 25 miles, or 40 kilometers, southwest of Destin, between Panama City and Pensacola.
Organizers expected the sinking to be completed in less than an hour, but the ship remained above water significantly longer. “We are not destroying anything. It will have a second life,” said Tim Mullain, a U.S. Navy veteran and operations director at Coleen Marine, the company that carried out the operation.
Because of bad weather, authorities moved the sinking forward by one day. The use of explosives was not permitted because of federal environmental regulations and explosives-handling rules. Instead, water entered the hull through the prepared flooding system, with 3-by-3-meter openings cut into the decks.
A ship with a record and famous passengers
SS United States made its maiden voyage in 1952 and crossed the Atlantic Ocean more than 800 times. On its inaugural voyage, the liner reached an average speed of nearly 41 miles per hour, or 66 kilometers per hour, breaking the record held by the British RMS Queen Mary.
Its passengers included Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Presidents Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, as well as former British King Edward VIII. In 1968, a young Bill Clinton also traveled on the ship on his way to Oxford University.
The liner was retired from service in 1969 and spent years berthed in Philadelphia. Before the sinking, more than 400 portholes and its 65-foot, or 20-meter, smokestacks were removed. They will be used in the creation of a museum dedicated to the ship.
The largest artificial reef to date is the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, which was sunk off Pensacola in 2006. SS United States is 79 feet, or 24 meters, longer than it.
“She represents pride, resilience, strength and beauty,” said Susan Gibbs, the granddaughter of the ship’s designer.There are already more than 500 artificial reefs in the area. The new site will be accessible to divers, including less experienced visitors, because of the relatively shallow depth at which the upper deck will be located.