The SS United States begins a final journey to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico – Audacy

The SS United States begins a final journey to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico  Audacy

An ocean liner that once was the fastest on the seas is headed to its final home on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico as the world’s largest artificial reef | WWL DESTIN, Fla. (AP) — An ocean liner that is longer than the Titanic and was once the fastest on the seas headed Wednesday toward its final home on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico as the world's largest artificial reef. The SS United States floated placidly under a cloudy sky off the coast of the Florida Panhandle, most of it still above the water at dusk, even after workers flooded the hull to push it under.

The event — described by officials as a controlled sinking — was a long-planned $13.5 million project aimed at attracting more divers and fishing enthusiasts to the area while creating a home for tuna, marlin and swordfish. The process of sinking the behemoth vessel stretched through the entire afternoon and into the evening, despite predictions that it could happen in less than an hour once flooded. Smaller boats remained around and even up beside it. The project will keep what had been a technological marvel when it made its maiden voyage in 1952 from becoming scrap metal. The ship's scuttling was streamed live online. The SS United States crossed the