TRAVEL
Florida’s Panhandle: Shipwrecks of the Emerald Coast by Michael Salvarezza & Christopher P. Weaver, ecophotoexplorers.com
T HE FLORIDA PANHANDLE is sometimes referred to as The Emerald Coast because the combination of clear Gulf water and brilliant white sand often produces a distinctive hue. It is an area tied to the water: fishermen, water sports enthusiasts and boaters flock to these waters throughout the year. For scuba divers, there is a wealth of diving opportunity beneath these waves. And currently, there is a lot of buzz around an anticipated ship sinking that will be a game changer for the entire region. The famous luxury liner SS United States is being readied for deployment as an artificial reef off the Destin-Ft. Walton area of the Florida Panhandle. The 990-foot liner, once known as America’s Flagship and owner of the speed record for an Atlantic crossing that remains to this day, has until recently been berthed in a boatyard in Mobile, Alabama as it was prepared for its sinking. The date of the sinking remains uncertain, but early 2026 is the latest estimate. Dive shops and charter boat captains are eager to see the vessel deployed underwater. Once sunk, the SS United States will become the largest artificial reef, outdoing the nearby USS Oriskany. The local dive industry expects this to be a boon to their business; some are planning to purchase additional boats to accommodate the anticipated demand for dives to the vessel and others are expecting daily dive trips to the site. “It has already attracted attention from around the world, and we expect it will boost the local dive industry and the economy in general,” says Savanna Christy, owner of ScubaTech in Destin, Florida. The addition of the SS United States to these Gulf waters is sure to catapult this area to a premier and much sought after dive destination. Now is the time for dive shops looking to get in on the action to begin planning trips to the area. Diving the waters of the Gulf of Mexico (or Gulf of America) involves shipwrecks. A trip to the area to explore the SS United States once it is sunk would benefit from including dives to many of the other wrecks in the area. Indeed, there are wrecks to satisfy every level of diver experience, ranging from those that are relatively shallow and
easy to navigate to deep water, technical dives on massive warships. The SS United States will be sunk off Destin, Florida. But a little over an hour to the east is Pen- sacola, home of the USS Oriskany . The USS Oriskany , a 911-foot- long aircraft carrier, was sunk on May 17, 2006, 22.5 nautical miles southeast off Pensacola Pass at a depth of 212 feet. At the time of her sinking, she was the first naval warship and largest artificial reef ever to be intentionally sunk in U.S. coastal waters. The “Mighty O,” as she is nicknamed, is a vessel with a storied history. She was an Essex-class aircraft carrier built shortly after World War II. She earned two battle stars for service in the Korean War and five battle stars for service in the Vietnam War. After completing 25 years of service, she was decommissioned
SS United States Preparing for Sinking.
BUILT ON SAFETY. DRIVEN BY PURPOSE. 65 YEARS STRONG.
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