Overview
- Officials carried out the deployment on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, after moving the operation up a day because of an inclement weather forecast.
- Federal environmental and explosives rules barred the use of demolition charges, so crews sank the ship by opening valves and flooding the hull through 10-by-10-foot deck openings and removed portholes.
- Preparations at a Mobile, Alabama shipyard included removing 128 fuel and lubricant tanks, taking off the twin 65-foot smokestacks and propeller, stripping exterior paint, and cutting passageways to speed flooding.
- The 990-foot hull will rest about 25 miles southwest of Destin in roughly 180 feet of water with its top deck about 60 feet below the surface to make the site accessible to recreational divers.
- Okaloosa County says the $13.5 million project will boost diving and fishing tourism and create habitat for species such as tuna and marlin, while preservationists urge detailed documentation and long-term environmental monitoring of the site.