The sinking of the SS United States can be seen without taking a trip to Florida. 

Okaloosa County is paying $68,000 to capture the historic ocean liner’s final journey in a livestream shot using drones and underwater cameras. The ship, which was docked in Philadelphia for nearly three decades, is being prepared to be sunk off the Florida panhandle, where it will become an artificial reef. It is expected to be sunk before the end of the year, but a date hasn’t been announced. 

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Drones and on-board cameras will capture the ship as it is towed from Mobile, Alabama to the spot where it will be sunk, about 20 nautical miles south of Florida’s Destin-Fort Walton Beach. Underwater cameras will show its descent to the ocean floor. 

A documentary on the ship, separate from one being developed by the SS United States Conservancy, will be released within two weeks afterward, Cruise Hive reported.

Two production companies, WMV Productions from Nashville, Tennessee and Gannet Creative house from Destin-Fort Walton Beach, have been awarded contracts to stream the event. Okaloosa County officials will provide half of the $68,000 upfront to cover the specialized cameras, marine gear, boat rentals and ship captains necessary to capture the ship’s deployment. 

The SS United States had been docked in Philadelphia since 1996 until it departed for Alabama in February. Okaloosa County purchased the vessel for $1 million in 2024 after a lengthy legal battle between the ship’s owner, the SS United States Conservancy, and its landlord, Penn Warehousing. 

Okaloosa County committed $10 million to clean and sink the SS United States. The county plans to build a museum dedicated to the ocean liner’s legacy. It will include pieces from the ship, including its smokestacks. 

The SS United States set the transatlantic speed record, which it still holds, during its maiden voyage in 1952. In the years following, it carried four presidents – Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy and a young Bill Clinton – and celebrities including Walt Disney, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne.