SS United States Heads to Gulf for Artificial Reef off Florida

The SS United States, the world's fastest ocean liner and 100 feet longer than the ill-fated RMS Titanic, has entered the Gulf on its way to becoming the world's largest artificial reef off Florida's Panhandle.

Still holding the record for being the largest passenger ship built in the U.S. at nearly 1,000 feet long, the vessel was purchased by Okaloosa County in October and will be sunk off Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

The ship had been docked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for nearly 30 years before beginning its final voyage Feb. 20, guided by four tugboats.

SS United States is headed for Mobile, Alabama for cleaning and renovation before it's moved off Destin-Fort Walton Beach in Florida to become a new marine life habitat. The exact location has not been revealed.

On the way to the Gulf, the liner hugged the South Florida Coast and was spotted off Palm Beach County on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

As SS United States journeys through the Gulf, will it be visible from shore?

After a remediation process in Mobile expected to take about a year, SS United States will be towed south of Destin-Fort Walton Beach to be sunk. A date and location have not been revealed.

"Before her deployment in the Gulf waters, all of the environmentally unsafe materials will be removed. This includes all non-metal items, wiring and fuel. She will have holes strategically cut around the ship to ensure she lands upright as she is submerged. Passages will also be opened allowing for marine life to thrive in and around the ship. All of the preparations in Mobile are in close collaboration with multiple environmental agencies including the Department of Environmental Protection and Environmental Protection Agency," Destin-Fort Walton Beach's website states.

At 990 feet, the SS United States is more than 100 feet longer than Titanic.

To reduce weight and increase speed, more aluminum was used to build SS United States than any other previous project.

As a result, SS United States moved almost as fast in reverse as Titanic was able to move forward, according to the SS United States Conservancy

In 1963, Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa was reportedly transported on the SS United States to America, on loan from the Louvre in Paris for exhibitions in Washington and New York.

Four U.S. presidents were once passengers on SS United States:

Harry Truman
Dwight Eisenhower
John Kennedy
Bill Clinton

According to the SS United States Conservatory, Clinton was on his way to study at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.

In service from 1952 to 1969, the USS United States saw its share of other famous passengers, including:

Marlon Brando
Coco Chanel
Sean Connery
Gary Cooper
Walter Cronkite
Salvador Dali
Walt Disney
Duke Ellington
Judy Garland
Cary Grant
Charlton Heston
Bob Hope
Marilyn Monroe
Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly
Elizabeth Taylor
John Wayne
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor

SS United States moved into open waters of the Gulf after rounding the Florida Keys Thursday.

From there, it's expected to make a beeline to Mobile, Alabama, making it unlikely to be visible from shore until it reaches its destination in the northern Gulf.

USS United States left Philadelphia Feb. 14, traveled down the Delaware River to Delaware Bay and out to the Atlantic. The estimated two-week journey takes the liner down the East Coast and into the Gulf on the way to Mobile, Alabama where it will be readied for its final move south of Destin-Fort Walton Beach to be sunk.

You can track the SS United States live. An interactive map provided by Okaloosa County, showing the liner's current location, can be found here.

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