Wednesday, November 11, 2026 is a historic day offshore from Destin-Fort Walton Beach. The SS United States — the 990-foot ocean liner that still holds the transatlantic speed record it set in 1952 — is scheduled to be deliberately sunk today to become what Okaloosa County officials say will be the world's largest artificial reef.
The historic ocean liner SS United States underway at sea — the 990-foot ship scheduled to become the world's largest artificial reef offshore from Destin-Fort Walton Beach on November 11, 2026
Okaloosa County purchased the retired liner in 2024 to transform it into an artificial reef and diving attraction. The deployment site is approximately 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach. Deployment operations are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CT today, when crews plan to begin controlled flooding through the ship's original seawater intake pipes; the sinking is expected to take approximately 45 minutes. The deployment was originally planned for November 12, but Okaloosa County moved it up a day because of forecast heavy winds and unsafe marine conditions.
How to watch from Destin: AJ's Seafood and Oyster Bar in Destin hosts a free public viewing party beginning at noon today, with the sinking broadcast on its large outdoor screen. The sinking will also be livestreamed through TheSSUS.com and on pnj.com. If you watch from a boat, a Coast Guard safety zone is expected to keep recreational vessels at least one nautical mile from the ship during deployment — follow directions from safety and security vessels. Schedules at sea can change with conditions, so check the latest Okaloosa County update before heading out.
What happens next: dive teams associated with Destin-Fort Walton Beach and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will conduct an initial survey to determine the wreck's exact resting position, and recreational divers are expected to be able to visit beginning at dawn on Thursday, November 12, provided the deployment proceeds as planned. Through a partnership with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the reef will also serve as a living laboratory for studying how a marine ecosystem forms from the very beginning.
No fireworks display was verified for today, so this post does not list one.
Sources checked today: Pensacola News Journal reporting Okaloosa County's deployment timeline and watch-party details (published November 11, 2026), and the official Destin-Fort Walton Beach site (destinfwb.com) on the SS United States reef research partnership.
