Divers Plan Friday Access to 990-Foot SS United States Reef After 24-Hour Safety Wait
Updated
Updated · WEAR · Nov 12
Divers Plan Friday Access to 990-Foot SS United States Reef After 24-Hour Safety Wait
3 articles · Updated · WEAR · Nov 12
Summary
Friday could bring the first dives on the SS United States after crews imposed a minimum 24-hour wait for the newly sunk liner to settle on the seabed.
About 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin, the 990-foot ship went down Wednesday and now rests roughly 180 feet underwater as the world's largest artificial reef.
Dive operators say bookings are already coming from around the world, while charter captains expect the structure to quickly become a draw for both divers and local fisheries.
Marine biologists expect algae, coral and other marine life to colonize the wreck over the next few months, potentially turning it into a thriving ecosystem by spring tourist season.