The historic, aging ocean liner that a Florida county plans to turn into the world’s largest artificial reef has completed the first leg of its final voyage.The SS United States, a 1,000-foot (305-meter) vessel that shattered the trans-Atlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952,

The luxury liner SS United States completed its journey Monday from South Philadelphia to Alabama, where it will undergo preparations before it is sunk in the waters off Florida's Gulf Coast to become an artificial reef.

The SS United States, once the fastest ocean liner to ever cross the Atlantic, will serve as a new home for marine life.

The SS United States is marking the end of the first leg of its journey to becoming the world's largest artificial reef.

We’ve sank dredges and ships and barges and tugboats and all kind of stuff” — David Walter, owner of Walter Marine in Orange Beach, is the go-to-guy. He has done it more than two dozen times from Texas to Florida.

The SS United States is towed to Alabama and draws onlookers to the East End of Dauphin Island on Monday, March 3, 2025. The historic ocean-liner is being towed to Mobile where it will be prepared for submersion as the world's largest artificial reef off the Florida Gulf Coast near Destin-Fort Walton. John Sharp

The SS United States completed a major step towards becoming the largest artificial reef in the world as the ship arrived in Mobile, Alabama on Monday, completing an 1,800-nautical mile journey from Philadelphia.

The S.S. United States will eventually be an artificial reef off Okaloosa County to boost diving tourism. The historic, aging ocean liner that a Florida county plans to turn into the world’s largest artificial reef has completed the first leg of its final voyage.

After being docked in Philadelphia for nearly three decades, the SS United States -- once the world's fastest ocean liner -- has arrived in Mobile, Al., ahead of schedule to be prepared to be turned into an artificial reef.