Historic US ship that once ruled the Atlantic faces extraordinary fate near Florida

The SS United States, a historic ship that was once the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic, is meeting its fate Wednesday. 

The ship is scheduled to be sunk off Florida's coast as part of plans to make it the world's largest artificial reef, a $13.5 million project aimed at benefiting divers, fishing enthusiasts and marine life alike, according to The Associated Press (AP).

Built in Virginia in 1950 and 1951, the ship in its time carried famous passengers including President John F. Kennedy, former King Edward VIII, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor.

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It also once took a young Bill Clinton to Oxford University in 1968 before being decommissioned a year later.

But in the decades since, the ship fell into disrepair. The reef project is intended to prevent it from becoming scrap metal.

The SS United States sat along a dock in Philadelphia from 1996 until February 2025, the AP reported.

The ship is expected to sink in about 180 feet of water, roughly 25 miles southwest of Destin, Florida. 

Its top deck will rest about 60 feet below the surface, making it accessible to recreational divers — and it will sit near about 500 other artificial reefs.

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Alicia Johnson, a Maine-based maritime archaeologist and head of digital engagement at Accupixel, told Fox News Digital she has mixed feelings about the ship's transformation into an artificial reef.

"As a scuba diver, I'm thrilled at the prospect of a new underwater site to visit and photograph, as well as the benefits it could potentially reap for the marine environment," she said.

"However, as a maritime archeologist, I'm concerned about preserving the historic fabric of the ship."

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To prepare for the sinking, organizers removed the ship's 65-foot smokestacks, which are expected to be displayed in a future museum, according to the AP.

Crews also removed tanks once used in the ship's cooling system so that seawater can flood the hull when valves are opened.

More than 400 portholes were removed, and large holes were cut into the decks.

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Johnson said it's also important to document the ship before it is submerged, since its original condition cannot be recreated once it is underwater.

"Once the ship is submerged, we cannot replicate the state it was in prior to its submersion," she said.

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She recommended using laser scanning, photographs and detailed drawings to create a digital record of the vessel.

She also suggested preserving historic artifacts in museums where they can be accessed by the public.

Johnson said the sinking also presents a rare opportunity for researchers to study how a ship changes underwater over time.

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While many shipwrecks are discovered decades or even centuries after they sink, researchers will be able to study the SS United States from the moment it enters the water.

"We get to study this ship from the moment before it goes in the water to 10, 20, 30 years after it's been in the water," she said.

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"So as a maritime archeologist, I think it's going to be very exciting as a case study because it doesn't necessarily categorize itself as a traditional archeological site," added Johnson.

Though the ship's days above water are coming to an end, Johnson said its historical significance will live on.

"These aren't sites just for scuba divers. They're the history of our ancestors, the history of our societies," she said. 

The Associated Press contributed reporting.