Pensacola, Florida, United States

USS Oriskany

The USS Oriskany (CV-34) is a 270-metre Essex-class aircraft carrier that served the United States Navy from 1950 through Korea and Vietnam — including launching the strikes during which Senator John McCain was shot down. After decommissioning, she was prepared by the Navy and the State of Florida and scuttled as an artificial reef 22 nautical miles off Pensacola Beach on 17 May 2006, becoming the largest ship ever intentionally sunk and the largest artificial reef in the world. The carrier landed upright on the sand bottom at 65 metres, with the flight deck at around 45 metres and the island superstructure rising to about 24 metres, putting the upper sections within recreational reach for advanced air or deep nitrox divers. Schools of barracuda, amberjack, scamp grouper, almaco jacks and spadefish patrol the upper levels, while gag and goliath grouper hunt the lower decks. Penetration is technical only. Visibility 18 to 30 metres in summer; currents are usually moderate but the open-Gulf location means weather windows matter.