Scuba divers eagerly await submersion of SS United States
The historic ocean liner SS United States has been sunk in the Gulf of Mexico to serve as an artificial reef for scuba divers. The project aims to preserve the ship's legacy while creating a major new destination for the diving community.
Why it matters
The transformation of a historic vessel into an artificial reef represents a unique intersection of maritime history, environmental conservation, and tourism.
Hear this story The famed ocean liner SS United States, which took presidents and celebrities across the Atlantic voyages in high-class style, will find new popularity after it sinks beneath the Gulf surface today and becomes the world's largest artificial reef – and a Mount Everest-type destination for scuba divers to explore.
Work crews began sinking the ship at about 2:40 p.m. Eastern time on Nov. 11. The 990-foot-long ship is being carefully flooded with seawater, which will take the ship down nearly 200 feet to its final resting place.
Soon, scuba divers – the curious, the bucket-listers and the passionate enthusiasts – will start to descend in droves to visit the ship, sitting upright on the Gulf floor.
"We anticipate the SS United States is going to be super popular," said Savanna Christy, owner and instructor at ScubaTech , a dive center in Destin, Florida.
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Historic Ocean Liner SS United States Sinks to Become Artificial Reef
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