In the US, the legendary transatlantic liner SS United States, which held the record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by a passenger ship for over seven decades, was deliberately sunk. The operation took place on 11 November in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 40 kilometres off the coast of Florida. The 302-metre-long vessel took around five hours to sink and is now set to become the world’s largest artificial reef. According to NPR, the former icon of American shipbuilding will provide a habitat for marine life and become a new tourist destination for divers.
- The legendary liner SS United States was sunk on 11 November off the coast of Florida.
- The 302-metre-long vessel will become the world’s largest artificial reef.
- Before the ship was flooded, hazardous materials were removed from it and equipment was dismantled.
- The liner carried US presidents and Hollywood stars, and set a transatlantic record.
How a 302-metre-long liner was sunk off the coast of Florida
The operation took place near the town of Destin, at a depth of approximately 55 metres. The organisers had originally planned to sink the vessel on 12 November, but due to the weather forecast, they brought the operation forward by one day.
Before the ship was sunk, more than 400 portholes, two huge funnels and other structures were removed from it. The hull was cleared of hazardous materials, and special openings were cut into the decks to allow water to enter.
No explosives were used. Water gradually filled the ship’s interior and its tanks. The process took longer than the organisers had anticipated: it was not until around 9.00 pm local time that the liner listed to one side and disappeared completely beneath the water.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $13.5 million.
The SS United States carried Marilyn Monroe, Salvador Dalí and US presidents
The liner made its maiden voyage in 1952 and immediately set a record for a transatlantic crossing, crossing the Atlantic in 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes. Its average speed was almost 66 km/h.
Over the years it has been in service, the vessel has carried passengers Marilyn Monroe, Salvador Dalí, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and other celebrities. The passengers also included four US presidents — Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton.
In 1969, the liner was taken out of service due to the growth of transatlantic aviation. Over the following decades, the owners tried unsuccessfully to raise the funds needed to restore it. Since 1996, the ship has been moored in the port of Philadelphia.
An underwater nature reserve is to be created on the sunken liner
The new artificial reef is set to become a home for fish, corals and other marine organisms. The ship’s upper decks will be approximately 18 metres below the surface, making part of the structure accessible to divers.
Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have launched a research project to observe how a new marine ecosystem will develop on a sunken ship.
Hundreds of artificial reefs are already in place off the coast of Okaloosa County. The local authorities hope that the SS United States will attract tourists and help to boost underwater tourism.
Some of the historic equipment, in particular the dismantled funnels, is to be preserved for a future museum dedicated to the famous liner.
