World's fastest ocean liner is sunk to break another record: largest artificial reef

The SS United States, the world's fastest trans-Atlantic passenger liner when launched in 1951, was deliberately sunk Wednesday off the Florida Panhandle to become the world's largest artificial reef. Crews flooded the nearly 1,000-foot vessel without explosives, and it sank in five hours off Okaloosa County. Officials expect the wreck to attract divers and tourists, generating an estimated $10–12 million annually and recouping the county's $10 million investment within two years.

The ship, which once carried four U.S. presidents and transported the Mona Lisa, had rusted at dock for decades before facing scrapping. Okaloosa County has sunk hundreds of artificial reefs to boost tourism and marine habitat. Maritime enthusiasts and dive clubs have already booked trips to explore the sunken liner, which was stripped of toxic materials and hazardous components before deployment to meet environmental and regulatory standards.