Watch SS United States sink to becomes world's largest artificial reef

South Philadelphia Watch SS United States sink to becomes world's largest artificial reef The SS United States was a fixture in South Philly for 30 years before it made its way down South in 2025 to be sunk as the world's largest artificial reef. By NBC Philadelphia Staff • Published November 10, 2026 • Updated on November 11, 2026 at 11:12 pm The historic SS United States, which was once a fixture of the Delaware River waterfront in South Philadelphia , was ceremoniously sunk Wednesday off the coast of Florida to become the world's largest artificial reef. The vessel deployed to its final resting place off the coast of Destin, Florida, at around 10 p.m. after nearly nine hours of sinking. Stream Philadelphia News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC10. WATCH HERE View this post on Instagram The ship will sit around 180 feet underwater and 22 nautical miles off the coast. To get the ship to sink cleanly, engineers drilled holes into the side of the ship above water and filled the ship with water until it sank to the level of the holes. Once that point was reached, the ship filled with ocean water and finished sinking within a few minutes. View this post on Instagram Timing Local Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. First Alert Weather 14 hours ago Tornadoes touch down in Del. and NJ, before chances for snow Friday New Jersey 9 hours ago Tacony-Palmyra Bridge reopens hours after cargo ship crash Officials had to move the sinking from Thursday to Wednesday due to bad weather in the area. A sendoff ceremony that was originally scheduled for Wednesday was also canceled. “Safety is always a top priority in Okaloosa County,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin. “There is simply no reason to take an unnecessary risk when adjusting the schedule will allow us to carry out this historic deployment safely and smoothly.” The SS United States was a fixture in South Philadelphia for 30 years before it made its way down south on Feb. 19, 2025. The 1,000-foot vessel shattered the trans-Atlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952, and the record still stands today. After nearly 30 years, the historic SS United States left Philadelphia on Wednesday and embarked on its journey to the Florida coast where it will eventually become an artificial reef. SkyForce10 was over the scene. This article tagged under: South Philadelphia