Burial at sea is a non-traditional way of disposing of human remains that entails placing the body in a biodegradable container and releasing it into the sea. While it has a much lower environmental impact than traditional burial or cremation, it can be expensive and there are certain legal requirements, such as obtaining a permit, that you have to be aware of.
As a very old practice, burial at sea has recently become popular once again as ocean lovers and their survivors are looking for eco-friendly alternatives to traditional burial. Burial at sea is a natural, environmentally-friendly way to honor the person's connection to the sea.
With the rate of cremation rising to 53.1% nationwide, people now have concerns about their environmental impact. Cremation is a less expensive choice than burial. Human ashes don't dissolve in the ocean's waters. Still, being a coarse, gritty substance, the ashes will scatter throughout the ocean with no harmful effects.
The EPA allows cremated remains to be scattered in the ocean. You must take the cremains at least three nautical miles off the coast before scattering. Furthermore, you can buy biodegradable urns that will dissolve and spread the ashes, or you can just scatter them. Cremains are made of harmless minerals as far as the ocean is concerned. The ashes are mostly dry calcium phosphates, which cause no harm to ocean life.
A burial at sea ceremony for veterans is a respectful way to honor the service and sacrifice of a former member of the military. The team at Funerals at Sea is proud to offer this service to families who wish to lay their loved ones to rest in the sea. As a program provided by the Department of Defense, "Honoring Those Who Served" allows families a dignified military funeral ceremony for veterans who have served our nation.
The burial at sea service for veterans is usually held off the coast of San Diego and involves the scattering of ashes in the ocean or a full body burial at sea. It may be preceded by a traditional military ceremony that can include Color Guard services of a flag folding and presentation, a bugler playing taps, or a gun salute, depending on your family member's rank and eligibility for these services.
Yes, we are insured. Whether you want a simple and intimate San Diego burial at sea ceremony, a more complex life celebration, or a full body burial, we can help you plan a unique and meaningful event. Our team is familiar with all the legal requirements, permits, and regulations for a successful burial at sea or ash scattering in California. We can assure you that our burial at sea yachts are operated by experienced U.S. Coast Guard captains and professional crews.
Thinking out a unique moment for everyone during a burial at sea can be challenging but very rewarding. To customize your experience, you should consider incorporating elements that allow each attendee to partake in a meaningful way. Ultimately, the purpose is to create a shared experience that honors the deceased and offers comfort and closure for everyone in attendance.
With full body burial at sea, there are many options to accommodate your personal preferences, such as selecting a shroud, which allows for a more personalized farewell ceremony. These are only some ways you can customize your burial at sea ceremony:
When it comes to customizing your loved one's burial at sea, the sky's the limit. Funerals at Sea is a leading provider of year-round premier burials at sea in San Diego. Our team specializes in the planning and execution of high-quality, compassionate burials at sea, tailored to the requirements of our clients. We can help you create a dignified tribute to the life of the departed.
Sure. Even if you choose a burial at sea by scattering the ashes of your family member, you can still keep some for yourself. It can offer a sense of permanence and respect while maintaining a feeling of closeness to the departed. In fact, keeping urns in your home or wearing ashes in your jewelry can provide comfort through the knowledge that you're keeping your loved one close.
Yes. Preparing and filing out the official death certificate, obituary notice, and burial permit are of utmost importance if you want to organize a burial at sea ceremony for a departed family member. We can't help you with the event in the absence of these essential documents, so it's best to have them handy and present them to the team at Funerals at Sea.
Yes. Permission to scatter human ashes at sea is required. Although burials at sea are common, legal guidelines need to be adhered to.
If you want to organize a burial at sea, you will need a special permit. The EPA issued a general permit under the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) to allow the burial of human remains at sea. The MPRSA general permit allows the transportation and burial at sea of human remains in ocean waters under specific conditions.
Furthermore, all California burials, whether it's a full body land burial, a scattering of ashes, or a full body sea burial, require a permit from your county. If the death occurred in the state, you may already have the correct permit. However, if the death happened out of state or abroad, you will have to obtain a permit to be able to organize a burial at sea.
Yes. The MPRSA general permit for burial at sea applies to everyone transporting cremains for the purpose of burial at sea and also U.S. flagged vessels, and national departments, agencies, or instrumentalities. The MPRSA permit authorizes the transportation and burial at sea of non-cremated and cremated human remains in ocean waters under certain conditions.
The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) general permit for burial at sea ceremonies doesn't require prior notice to the EPA. However, the permit requires notification within 30 days of the burial. Furthermore, it's important to note that there are no fees payable to the agency for using the MPRSA general permit for burial at sea or filing the notification to the EPA after the burial ceremony.
Scattering ashes at sea has become increasingly popular. This ceremony is considered to be a lot more natural and soothing for the loved ones than traditional burials. There are many ways families can spread a loved one's ashes from a yacht into the ocean. To scatter your loved one's ashes by yacht, the family boards the vessel and travels to the desired location. This usually involves chartering a yacht with a licensed captain, and the trip can last several hours.
Family members can scatter the ashes if they want. The ashes are placed in the water and subsequently descend into the ocean. Afterward, the family is usually handed flowers or even a bouquet they can toss in along with the ashes to create a ceremony on the water. The captain can also circle the area while the family takes photos and say their final goodbyes.
A burial at sea is often less expensive than a standard burial and can be a very appealing choice for those who have a special connection with the ocean. There are companies, including Funerals at the Sea, that offer ash-scattering services via yacht charter services, which specialize in transporting casketed, shrouded, or cremated remains.
It's important to make sure the service you opt for can accommodate the number of guests you are going to invite to the ceremony. As for the payment, you will do so after we discuss all the details regarding the sea burial and reach an agreement on how it will take place.
As each of our yachtss is owned and operated by different companies, you will receive all the necessary information on the date, time, and location of your yacht when you confirm your reservation. When the day of the burial at sea ceremony comes, you will be able to get aboard one of our vessels in San Diego Bay. Finding a good location that follows the EPA's rules for a burial at sea is often a challenge. The cremated remains are transported in a proper urn and remain in this urn during the entire travel.
A burial at sea is a practice that entails disposing of human remains into the ocean. In the past, this privilege was available only for people employed in or retired from the Navy. The sea funeral is conducted on a ship, yacht, boat, or aircraft, which is used to release the remains. Ceremonies may include burial in a casket or urn or just scattering the ashes into the ocean.
A sea burial involves a yacht taking the body out to sea and putting it into the water. This means the sea bed becomes the person's final resting place. The body will subsequently break down and become part of the ocean.
The cost of a burial at sea depends on the specific service you opt for. As a general rule, burials at sea cost as low as $200 for an unattended ash-scattering service or as much as $10,000 for a yacht charter with over 100 guests. To understand the difference in cost, a standard funeral can cost roughly $10,000.
Yes. It's legal to mail a family member's cremated ashes to a domestic or international address. As long as you follow the rules and regulations for shipping cremains with a reputable carrier, it is perfectly legal to send cremated ashes in the mail.
If you wonder whether you can FedEx human remains, the answer is, unfortunately, no. When it comes to shipping ashes, companies like UPS, DHL, and FedEx will not knowingly accept or transport cremains. However, the USPS provides the only legal way to ship ashes to a domestic or international address from the U.S.
A full body burial at sea is more complex than simply heaving a corpse overboard. The natural full body burial at sea we offer is a way of caring for the deceased with minimal environmental impact, which helps the conservation of natural resources. It's important to note that full body burial at sea ceremonies are one-day yacht charters. We depart from port and navigate to a depth of 100 fathoms.
We provide year-round, cost-effective traditional ash scattering memorial cruises and complete full body casket-free burials. Scatterings are presided over by our captain, and for a full body burial at sea, a funeral director will be required. We serve all faiths with personalized services.
The cost of a burial at sea ceremony depends greatly on what services you choose to include in your event. It may include burial sewn in sailcloth, scattering of the cremated remains from a yacht, or burial in an urn. A full-body burial at sea entails the disposal of the entire body of the deceased into the ocean. In this burial type, a metal casket, a biodegradable coffin, or an urn is used.
It's worth noting that the process of a full body sea burial can be burdensome unless every detail of the ceremony is planned ahead. The funeral director plays a major role in making the funeral stress-free. Funerals at Sea will take care of every aspect of your ceremony so that you can focus on saying farewell to your loved one. We are transparent when it comes to costs and will let you know exactly what your ceremony will include once we know what you are looking for.
The EPA has issued a general permit under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act to allow the burial of human remains at sea. This general permit authorizes the transportation and burial at sea of both non-cremated and cremated human remains in ocean waters under specific conditions. The following activity is not allowed under the EPA's general permit for burial at sea:
In general, morning or early afternoon are the best times to scatter your loved one's ashes from a yacht, as wind and swell are usually calmer during that time. Moreover, it's important that whoever is scattering the ashes does so by the side of the yacht so they fall into the water and also that they're casting downwind so the ashes don't blow back on them.