Cruise ship sunk – to become a coral reef

She was once the fastest ship at sea. Now the legendary cruise ship lies at the bottom of the sea.

The vessel, which is just over 300 metres long and 50 metres high, will become an artificial reef off the coast of Florida. After a protracted process, the SS United States finally listed, filled with seawater, and sank in a controlled manner to the seabed.

There, she will provide a habitat for species including tuna, triggerfish and swordfish, and become a destination for divers. The upper deck lies around 18 metres below the surface.

The ocean liner was built in the early 1950s and carried famous figures such as John F Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor on its transatlantic voyages.

^{Cover image: A tugboat leaves the SS United States in preparation for the ship’s controlled sinking off the coast of Florida. Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP/TT}