Okaloosa County to acquire SS United States for world’s largest artificial reef off Destin-Fort Walton BeachOkaloosa County has signed an agreement to purchase the SS United States, the historic ocean liner that holds the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing, with plans to create the world’s largest artificial reef off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach. 
Okaloosa County has signed an agreement to purchase the SS United States, the historic ocean liner that holds the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing, with plans to create the world’s largest artificial reef off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
According to county documents, the Tourist Development Department is requesting approval for a budget allocation of up to $9 million for the acquisition, remediation, transport, and deployment of the SS United States. This project also includes plans for a land-based museum dedicated to the ship. The SS United States, a 990-foot vessel launched in 1952, still holds the Blue Riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing by an ocean liner. Currently docked in Philadelphia, the ship faced legal challenges when a federal judge ruled on June 14, 2024, that it must vacate its location within 90 days. This ruling has necessitated quick action to preserve the historic vessel. Economic and Ecological Impact
The project is expected to have significant economic benefits. County documents cite the USS Oriskany, an 888-foot vessel sunk off Pensacola in 2006, as a comparison. The Oriskany attracts over 10,000 divers annually, generating approximately $3.6 million per year in direct spending as of 2015. A University of Florida study estimates that every dollar spent on artificial reefs generates $7 in economic benefits for the local economy, with larger projects potentially yielding greater returns.
The increased fish populations and improved catches are anticipated to attract more recreational anglers, who contribute to the local economy through spending on equipment, boat rentals, fuel, and charters. Project DetailsThe county has identified three active permitted areas (Large Area Artificial Reef Sites A, B and C) that can accommodate the SS United States, all less than 25 miles from shore. These sites offer depths and clearance requirements suitable for divers of various skill levels, from beginners to technical divers.Of the $9 million budget, $1 million is allocated for the ship’s purchase. The county has until September 12 to complete due diligence, which began in early August. Closing is set to occur on or before October 4, 2024.
Okaloosa County will provide up to $1 million for museum-related costs, including property purchase, construction, or renovation of an existing building/property for the museum and its exhibits.
Timeline and Next Steps
If approved on September 3, the county will proceed with finalizing agreements for remediation, transport, deployment, and museum development. Environmental due diligence is ongoing, with initial test results described as favorable. County staff have identified potential funding partners and expect significant cost-sharing to reduce the overall expense. To date, they believe they have secured $5 million in partnership contributions.
Comparison to USS OriskanyAt 990 feet, the SS United States would surpass the USS Oriskany (888 feet) as the world’s largest intentional artificial reef. The Oriskany, sunk in 2006, continues to attract divers and generate economic benefits nearly two decades later.
Historical Significance
The SS United States, known as “America’s Flagship,” represents a pinnacle of American naval engineering. It was designed to be convertible to a troop ship if needed, capable of transporting 14,000 troops for 10,000 miles without refueling. The ship set speed records on its maiden voyage in 1952, using only two-thirds of its power. Built as part of a top-secret Cold War program, the SS United States was designed to be the world’s fastest and safest ship. Its true performance figures were kept secret for many years, but it’s known that on sea trials, it achieved a speed of over 38 knots (about 44 miles per hour).
With the acquisition of the SS United States, Okaloosa County aims to preserve a piece of maritime history while creating a unique attraction that could significantly boost the local economy and marine ecosystem. When deployed, this project would cement Destin-Fort Walton Beach’s status as home to the world’s largest artificial reef, continuing its reputation as a premier fishing destination and further establishing it as the dive capital of Florida and the artificial reef capital of the United States. Okaloosa County to acquire SS United States for world’s largest artificial reef off Destin-Fort Walton Beach |
Destin-Fort Walton Beach Wants to be Dive Capital of Florida
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SS United States to begin final journey from Philadelphia to become the world’s largest artificial reef |
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| The SS United States, shown at its berth at Philadelphia's Pier 82, will depart November 14 to begin its journey to Mobile, Alabama, where it will be prepared for deployment as an artificial reef off Florida's coast. The 990-foot vessel has been docked in Philadelphia since 1996. (Okaloosa County) |
| The SS United States, holder of the transatlantic speed record, will begin its final voyage from Philadelphia’s Pier 82 this month, marking the start of its transformation into the world’s largest artificial reef off the Florida Panhandle. |
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| The following day, pre-dawn operations will commence to guide the historic liner into the Delaware River during low tide. The process will require temporary closures of three major bridges: the Walt Whitman Bridge (I-76), Commodore Barry Bridge (U.S. 322), and Delaware Memorial Bridge (I-295). |
| After entering the Atlantic Ocean, two to three tugboats will tow the vessel on an estimated two-week journey to Mobile, Alabama, where it will undergo a 12-month preparation process for its new role as an artificial reef. |
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| While the exact deployment location hasn’t been finalized, plans call for positioning the ship approximately 20 miles south of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area. |
| Okaloosa County will continue its partnership with the SS United States Conservancy to develop a land-based museum in Destin-Fort Walton Beach. The museum will showcase iconic features from the ship, including its distinctive funnels and radar mast, along with the Conservancy’s archival collection. |
| The public can follow the ship’s journey via GPS tracking at www.destinfwb.com/explore/eco-tourism/ssus. |
SS United States to depart Philadelphia on journey to become World’s Largest Artificial Reef |
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Chuck Homler d/b/a FocusOnWildlife, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
| Okaloosa County announced today that all necessary safety requirements have been met to relocate the legendary vessel from its long-time berth in Philadelphia to Mobile, Alabama. |
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| The 990-foot vessel, which has called Philadelphia home since 1996, will undergo approximately 12 months of preparation in Mobile before its ultimate deployment as an artificial reef approximately 20 nautical miles south of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area. |
| The extensive preparation process includes the removal of hazardous materials and modifications to ensure the ship will rest upright on the seafloor. |
| When deployed, the SS United States will surpass the USS Oriskany, an 888-foot aircraft carrier sunk off Pensacola in 2006, as the world’s largest artificial reef. The project aims to create new marine habitats while preserving the legacy of this historic vessel, which still holds the transatlantic speed record set during its maiden voyage in 1952. |
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| The journey to Mobile is expected to take approximately two weeks, with multiple tugboats escorting the vessel along its route through the Delaware River and into the Atlantic Ocean. The public can follow the ship’s progress through GPS tracking available on the Destin-Fort Walton Beach website. |
| This development marks a new chapter for the vessel, which has faced numerous challenges since its retirement from active service in 1969. The ship, known as “America’s Flagship,” carried four U.S. presidents and countless celebrities during its service life, while maintaining the capability to be converted into a troop transport capable of carrying 14,000 military personnel. |
| Once deployed, the artificial reef is expected to attract diverse marine life, from red snapper to wahoo, creating new opportunities for both fishing and diving activities in the region. The project represents a unique combination of historic preservation and environmental conservation, ensuring that the SS United States will continue to serve a valuable purpose while preserving its remarkable legacy for future generations. |
After nearly 30 years docked in Philadelphia, PA, the SS United States has begun its final voyage to become the world’s largest artificial reef off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
The 990-foot vessel, which still holds the transatlantic speed record set on its maiden voyage in 1952, is now being towed around Florida’s coastline toward Mobile, AL, where it will undergo approximately a year of preparation before its deployment as an artificial reef.
Okaloosa County Natural Resources Chief Alex Fogg, who is spearheading the project, said the acquisition process began about two-and-a-half years ago when a contractor working on other artificial reef projects messaged him about the ship.
“At that point I had never heard of the SS United States, so I looked her up and was immediately awestruck,” Fogg said. “I thought it was the Titanic for a second.”
The acquisition
The county began engaging with the SS United States Conservancy, the ship’s previous owner, last summer after a judge ruled the vessel needed to vacate its Philadelphia pier.
“After a lot of back and forth with them, they agreed that we could purchase it with the purpose of deploying it as an artificial reef offshore of Destin-Fort Walton Beach,” Fogg said.
The agreement includes funding for a land-based museum in the destination, which Fogg noted is unusual for artificial reef projects.
“There’s no other artificial reef that has a dedicated museum, but honestly, I don’t know of any other artificial reefs out there that could justify a museum,” he said.
The museum will feature artifacts the conservancy has been collecting for years, including at least one of the ship’s iconic funnels, its large anchor, and the propeller, which will be removed and preserved during the remediation process.
The vessel left Philadelphia about a week ago and is currently making its way around Florida’s coast, moving faster than initially expected thanks to the Vinik #6. It will soon enter the Gulf of Mexico and head to the Modern American Recycling Services facility in Mobile, AL, where it will undergo extensive remediation to prepare it for deployment as an artificial reef, led by county contractor, Coleen Marine Inc.
“There’s a lot of fuel oil still on board. There’s also hazardous paints, wiring, plastics and other things on board that are going to have to be removed,” Fogg explained.
The SS United States has several distinctions that make it historically significant. At 990 feet, it’s more than 100 feet longer than the Titanic. Built as part of a top-secret Cold War program, it was designed to be the world’s fastest and safest ship, reaching speeds of over 38 knots (about 44 miles per hour) during sea trials.
Its deployment as an artificial reef will surpass the USS Oriskany, an 888-foot aircraft carrier deployed offshore Pensacola in 2006, that is the current world’s largest artificial reef.
Project Costs
The total project cost is approximately $10.1 million, with $1 million for the purchase of the vessel, another $1 million allocated for the land-based museum, about $7.1 million for transport, cleaning, and preparation work, and $1 million for contingency costs. Fogg noted that the county expects about half of the project to be funded through grants and partnerships with private companies.
“We’ve been in discussions with a lot of public and private entities about funding share agreements,” he said. “I suspect we’ll be able to start talking about those in the next few months.”
The funds being used from Okaloosa County come from tourism tax dollars, which Fogg emphasized can only be spent on tourism-related initiatives. Further, tourism tax dollars are collected from hotel stays and not Okaloosa county residents.
“A lot of people think those funds should be spent on building roads or fixing infrastructure. The fact of the matter is tourism tax dollars can only be spent on things that benefit tourism,” he said.
Economic impact
The economic impact of the project is expected to be substantial. Fogg cited studies showing that the USS Oriskany generates around $3 million in economic impact annually, with expectations that the SS United States will bring in significantly more.
“I think we had a general idea on what sort of impact this vessel was going to have based on the USS Oriskany in Pensacola,” Fogg said. “The SS United States is certainly going to be bringing significantly more than $3 million of direct economic impact to the destination.”
The project has also generated considerable media attention. “As of last week we were over $241 million in earned media since October 1, 2024, which means that we would’ve had to spend over $241 million in order to get the level of media coverage that we’ve received to date,” Fogg said, adding that the figure is likely to increase as the project progresses.
Fogg believes the project will continue to elevate Destin-Fort Walton Beach to be a premier diving destination. While the county has deployed numerous ‘smaller’ artificial reefs in recent years, including vessels such as the RV Manta, RV Dolphin, RMS Atlantis, and USAF Big Dawg, the SS United States is on a different scale entirely.
“Once the SS United States is deployed, people are going to be learning about the destination, coming here to dive, and then not only discovering the hundreds of additional artificial reefs that have been deployed over the years, but also some of the other innovative programs we are establishing in the destination,” he said.
Depth and location
The ship is expected to be deployed in approximately 180 feet of water about 20 nautical miles from Destin’s East Pass. Despite the depth, Fogg said the vessel’s size means its upper decks will be at about 50-55 feet below the surface, making it accessible to divers of all skill levels.
“It’ll be very much accessible to the beginner diver as well as advanced and technical divers depending on what they’re wanting to do,” he said, adding that upper decks will be modified to reduce the risk of entrapment and ensure a safe diving experience .
Modifications to the ship will include removing the stacks and crow’s nest to allow for deployment in shallower water, modifying upper decks for safety, and adding openings to allow for diver and marine life egress.
The deployment itself will involve controlled flooding rather than explosives. “Some holes are cut just above the water line, patched, and then removed when it gets on site. Through hull valves will be opened and pumps are used to sink the vessel to the point where those holes begin to fill quickly with water,” Fogg explained.
The role of artificial reefs
Artificial reefs play a crucial role in Northwest Florida‘s marine ecosystem due to the lack of natural reef habitat, including coral reefs, which cannot survive in the region’s cooler winter waters.
“We rely on artificial reef habitat to be deployed to create sites for people to go diving and to go fishing,” Fogg said. “The benefit to the ecosystem is compounded because if you’re able to deploy hundreds of new artificial reefs… you’re able to spread that effort out a little bit and minimize the constant fishing and diving pressure on any single reef site.”
Currently, Destin-Fort Walton Beach has a database of over 570 public artificial reef sites, ranging from large shipwrecks to small concrete modules. If you consider individual structures, that number is in the thousands.
The SS United States is expected to attract numerous fish species almost immediately after deployment, including red snapper, amberjack, and groupers, as well as various pelagic species like mackerel and tuna.
“It’s going to attract plenty of fish right from the start,” Fogg said. “While that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve made it their home, it will take some time for growth to begin and to become a functioning ecosystem. But there will be things to see very quickly, besides a 1,000ft ship.”
Industry support
The project has received strong support from local fishing and diving operations, with dive shops already receiving numerous calls about the future reef.
“All of the dive shops and dive charters are getting call after call, asking to get on a boat for the deployment itself or just to go diving,” Fogg said. “They’re getting hundreds of calls on a weekly basis asking to come to the destination to go diving at this site.”
The fishing industry, which forms a significant part of the local economy, is also expected to benefit substantially.
“We have a huge for-hire fishing fleet here in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, the largest in the country,” Fogg noted. “I don’t think I’ve received a single negative comment from the fishing fleet just because it’s such a benefit to their industry.”
The project is expected to create a host of jobs, both during the preparation and deployment phases and afterward through increased tourism and recreational activities.
“Not only for the actual preparation and the deployment itself, but the boost in business for the existing operations and the amount of operations that are going to start up here in the destination,” Fogg said. “I know of a few folks who are getting boats and getting operations set up for when the SS United States is deployed, they can start taking people out there on dive charters.”
Looking ahead…
For those interested in seeing the ship, its route from the Florida Keys to Mobile will likely take it about 90 miles off the Okaloosa County coast, though its exact path may change based on weather conditions.
“When it gets into the Gulf, that’s when we’ll start to get additional weather routings, and it very well may reroute it to where it passes close to Northwest Florida and Okaloosa County, but we won’t know until the days leading up to its arrival,” Fogg said.
Aside from the records it set, the SSUS carried four U.S. presidents—Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, and Bill Clinton—as well as numerous celebrities, including Marlon Brando, Coco Chanel, Sean Connery, Walt Disney, Marilyn Monroe, and Grace Kelly.
After being decommissioned in 1969, the ship passed through several owners, each with plans for its future that ultimately fell through. Since 1996, it had been docked at Pier 82 on Philadelphia’s Delaware River. The SS United States Conservancy purchased the vessel in 2011 with help from Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest.
In June 2024, a federal judge ruled that the ship must vacate its Philadelphia location within 90 days, creating urgency for a new solution. This led to Okaloosa County’s purchase agreement, which was finalized in October.
The SS United States Conservancy will now focus on developing the land-based museum that will complement the artificial reef, allowing non-divers to learn about the historic vessel and its significance to American maritime history.
For Fogg and his team, the successful departure of the SS United States from Philadelphia represents a major milestone in a project that still has about a year of work ahead.
“This revamp of the artificial reef program in Okaloosa County is a direct result of our leadership on the Board of County Commissioners as well as the Tourism Development Council caring about our environment and wanting to make this happen,” Fogg said. “We wouldn’t be able to do this without their support.”
The 990-foot vessel, which still holds the transatlantic speed record set on its maiden voyage in 1952, is now being towed around Florida’s coastline toward Mobile, AL, where it will undergo approximately a year of preparation before its deployment as an artificial reef.
Okaloosa County Natural Resources Chief Alex Fogg, who is spearheading the project, said the acquisition process began about two-and-a-half years ago when a contractor working on other artificial reef projects messaged him about the ship.
“At that point I had never heard of the SS United States, so I looked her up and was immediately awestruck,” Fogg said. “I thought it was the Titanic for a second.”
The acquisition
The county began engaging with the SS United States Conservancy, the ship’s previous owner, last summer after a judge ruled the vessel needed to vacate its Philadelphia pier.
“After a lot of back and forth with them, they agreed that we could purchase it with the purpose of deploying it as an artificial reef offshore of Destin-Fort Walton Beach,” Fogg said.
The agreement includes funding for a land-based museum in the destination, which Fogg noted is unusual for artificial reef projects.
“There’s no other artificial reef that has a dedicated museum, but honestly, I don’t know of any other artificial reefs out there that could justify a museum,” he said.
The museum will feature artifacts the conservancy has been collecting for years, including at least one of the ship’s iconic funnels, its large anchor, and the propeller, which will be removed and preserved during the remediation process.
The vessel left Philadelphia about a week ago and is currently making its way around Florida’s coast, moving faster than initially expected thanks to the Vinik #6. It will soon enter the Gulf of Mexico and head to the Modern American Recycling Services facility in Mobile, AL, where it will undergo extensive remediation to prepare it for deployment as an artificial reef, led by county contractor, Coleen Marine Inc.
“There’s a lot of fuel oil still on board. There’s also hazardous paints, wiring, plastics and other things on board that are going to have to be removed,” Fogg explained.
The SS United States has several distinctions that make it historically significant. At 990 feet, it’s more than 100 feet longer than the Titanic. Built as part of a top-secret Cold War program, it was designed to be the world’s fastest and safest ship, reaching speeds of over 38 knots (about 44 miles per hour) during sea trials.
Its deployment as an artificial reef will surpass the USS Oriskany, an 888-foot aircraft carrier deployed offshore Pensacola in 2006, that is the current world’s largest artificial reef.
Project Costs
The total project cost is approximately $10.1 million, with $1 million for the purchase of the vessel, another $1 million allocated for the land-based museum, about $7.1 million for transport, cleaning, and preparation work, and $1 million for contingency costs. Fogg noted that the county expects about half of the project to be funded through grants and partnerships with private companies.
“We’ve been in discussions with a lot of public and private entities about funding share agreements,” he said. “I suspect we’ll be able to start talking about those in the next few months.”
The funds being used from Okaloosa County come from tourism tax dollars, which Fogg emphasized can only be spent on tourism-related initiatives. Further, tourism tax dollars are collected from hotel stays and not Okaloosa county residents.
“A lot of people think those funds should be spent on building roads or fixing infrastructure. The fact of the matter is tourism tax dollars can only be spent on things that benefit tourism,” he said.
Economic impact
The economic impact of the project is expected to be substantial. Fogg cited studies showing that the USS Oriskany generates around $3 million in economic impact annually, with expectations that the SS United States will bring in significantly more.
“I think we had a general idea on what sort of impact this vessel was going to have based on the USS Oriskany in Pensacola,” Fogg said. “The SS United States is certainly going to be bringing significantly more than $3 million of direct economic impact to the destination.”
The project has also generated considerable media attention. “As of last week we were over $241 million in earned media since October 1, 2024, which means that we would’ve had to spend over $241 million in order to get the level of media coverage that we’ve received to date,” Fogg said, adding that the figure is likely to increase as the project progresses.
Fogg believes the project will continue to elevate Destin-Fort Walton Beach to be a premier diving destination. While the county has deployed numerous ‘smaller’ artificial reefs in recent years, including vessels such as the RV Manta, RV Dolphin, RMS Atlantis, and USAF Big Dawg, the SS United States is on a different scale entirely.
“Once the SS United States is deployed, people are going to be learning about the destination, coming here to dive, and then not only discovering the hundreds of additional artificial reefs that have been deployed over the years, but also some of the other innovative programs we are establishing in the destination,” he said.
Depth and location
The ship is expected to be deployed in approximately 180 feet of water about 20 nautical miles from Destin’s East Pass. Despite the depth, Fogg said the vessel’s size means its upper decks will be at about 50-55 feet below the surface, making it accessible to divers of all skill levels.
“It’ll be very much accessible to the beginner diver as well as advanced and technical divers depending on what they’re wanting to do,” he said, adding that upper decks will be modified to reduce the risk of entrapment and ensure a safe diving experience .
Modifications to the ship will include removing the stacks and crow’s nest to allow for deployment in shallower water, modifying upper decks for safety, and adding openings to allow for diver and marine life egress.
The deployment itself will involve controlled flooding rather than explosives. “Some holes are cut just above the water line, patched, and then removed when it gets on site. Through hull valves will be opened and pumps are used to sink the vessel to the point where those holes begin to fill quickly with water,” Fogg explained.
The role of artificial reefs
Artificial reefs play a crucial role in Northwest Florida‘s marine ecosystem due to the lack of natural reef habitat, including coral reefs, which cannot survive in the region’s cooler winter waters.
“We rely on artificial reef habitat to be deployed to create sites for people to go diving and to go fishing,” Fogg said. “The benefit to the ecosystem is compounded because if you’re able to deploy hundreds of new artificial reefs… you’re able to spread that effort out a little bit and minimize the constant fishing and diving pressure on any single reef site.”
Currently, Destin-Fort Walton Beach has a database of over 570 public artificial reef sites, ranging from large shipwrecks to small concrete modules. If you consider individual structures, that number is in the thousands.
The SS United States is expected to attract numerous fish species almost immediately after deployment, including red snapper, amberjack, and groupers, as well as various pelagic species like mackerel and tuna.
“It’s going to attract plenty of fish right from the start,” Fogg said. “While that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve made it their home, it will take some time for growth to begin and to become a functioning ecosystem. But there will be things to see very quickly, besides a 1,000ft ship.”
Industry support
The project has received strong support from local fishing and diving operations, with dive shops already receiving numerous calls about the future reef.
“All of the dive shops and dive charters are getting call after call, asking to get on a boat for the deployment itself or just to go diving,” Fogg said. “They’re getting hundreds of calls on a weekly basis asking to come to the destination to go diving at this site.”
The fishing industry, which forms a significant part of the local economy, is also expected to benefit substantially.
“We have a huge for-hire fishing fleet here in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, the largest in the country,” Fogg noted. “I don’t think I’ve received a single negative comment from the fishing fleet just because it’s such a benefit to their industry.”
The project is expected to create a host of jobs, both during the preparation and deployment phases and afterward through increased tourism and recreational activities.
“Not only for the actual preparation and the deployment itself, but the boost in business for the existing operations and the amount of operations that are going to start up here in the destination,” Fogg said. “I know of a few folks who are getting boats and getting operations set up for when the SS United States is deployed, they can start taking people out there on dive charters.”
Looking ahead…
For those interested in seeing the ship, its route from the Florida Keys to Mobile will likely take it about 90 miles off the Okaloosa County coast, though its exact path may change based on weather conditions.
“When it gets into the Gulf, that’s when we’ll start to get additional weather routings, and it very well may reroute it to where it passes close to Northwest Florida and Okaloosa County, but we won’t know until the days leading up to its arrival,” Fogg said.
Aside from the records it set, the SSUS carried four U.S. presidents—Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, and Bill Clinton—as well as numerous celebrities, including Marlon Brando, Coco Chanel, Sean Connery, Walt Disney, Marilyn Monroe, and Grace Kelly.
After being decommissioned in 1969, the ship passed through several owners, each with plans for its future that ultimately fell through. Since 1996, it had been docked at Pier 82 on Philadelphia’s Delaware River. The SS United States Conservancy purchased the vessel in 2011 with help from Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest.
In June 2024, a federal judge ruled that the ship must vacate its Philadelphia location within 90 days, creating urgency for a new solution. This led to Okaloosa County’s purchase agreement, which was finalized in October.
The SS United States Conservancy will now focus on developing the land-based museum that will complement the artificial reef, allowing non-divers to learn about the historic vessel and its significance to American maritime history.
For Fogg and his team, the successful departure of the SS United States from Philadelphia represents a major milestone in a project that still has about a year of work ahead.
“This revamp of the artificial reef program in Okaloosa County is a direct result of our leadership on the Board of County Commissioners as well as the Tourism Development Council caring about our environment and wanting to make this happen,” Fogg said. “We wouldn’t be able to do this without their support.”