Bigger than the Titanic: The legendary luxury liner was sunk | Video

The luxury liner 'SS United States', measuring 302 meters in length, was deliberately sunk off the coast of Florida at a cost of $13.5 million, becoming the largest artificial reef in the world. The ship, which crossed the Atlantic Ocean more than 800 times, once hosted presidents and Hollywood stars.

The luxury liner 'SS United States', measuring 302 meters (about 33 meters longer than the Titanic), was deliberately sunk off the coast of Florida at a cost of $13.5 million, becoming the largest artificial reef in the world. The ship, which crossed the Atlantic Ocean more than 800 times and broke speed records, once hosted presidents such as Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, and Hollywood stars like Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor. The sinking process took significantly longer than expected due to a ban on explosives, requiring a gradual opening of valves. The ship now rests at a depth of about 55 meters, approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Destin, Florida, and is expected to become a major diving site. The headline compares the ship to the Titanic, creating a curiosity gap, but the body describes a controlled and planned sinking.