Why People Pick the Ocean as their Final Resting Place

All final resting place options are respectful. You may bury your departed loved one in a cemetery or churchyard, memorial garden, private land, etc. But have you thought about giving your loved one a sea burial? Full body sea burials or spreading ashes in the ocean are not something new. This type of burial is common and has been in practice by humans for centuries. But what you may not know is that anyone can choose the ocean as their final resting place. Yes, it is possible and the practice of ocean burial is only gaining more popularity by the day.

But the question is why more and more people are picking the ocean as their final resting place. In this article, we’ll discuss this as well as many other things related to ocean burials or ash spreading.

The popularity of Sea Burials

The trend of full-body sea burials and throwing ashes into the ocean is fast gaining momentum. Looking at the last few years’ burial records tells us that the number of sea burials is increasing in the United States, year after year. In California alone, a lot of people opt for sea burials every year.

Compared to full-body ocean burials, releasing ashes in the ocean is more common. In California alone, grieving families throw the ashes of their loved ones in a large number. This is because a full body sea burial requires a great deal of planning including picking an ideal location, boat hire, and carrying out the burial in a biodegradable casket as well as getting all necessary approvals. There are rules that you must adhere to in order to ensure environmental protection. If you plan for a casket burial at sea or throwing ashes in the ocean, the best idea is to seek the expert help of a sea burial service provider in or near your location.

For burials on the Southern California coast, you should head straight to Burial at Sea Services that provides both full-body burials and scattering ashes off the coast of San Pedro, Long Beach, Redondo Beach, Catalina Island, and Los Angeles. Get in touch with more detailed information.

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Choosing a Final Resting Place

Where you want your departed loved one to be buried is a deeply personal decision. When it comes to final resting places, you have several options to choose from such as cemetery, memorial garden, columbarium, private land, artificial ocean reef, etc. Each of these options is nice and respectful.

Many families find it difficult to pick an ideal final resting place for their loved ones. If the departed loved one already picked a specific location prior to their death, the grieving family doesn’t have to think about any other option. But if the deceased loved one did not mention a specific burial, it is for the family to decide which option would be the most suitable and dignified. You should make this decision based on a number of factors including the kind of life the departed loved one led and what traditions and values were most important to them.

A cremation or burial service provider will give you expert advice so as to make the final voyage of your loved one dignified and memorable. The planner will guide you through the entire burial process as well.

Anybody Can Be Buried in the Ocean

Though most people who were and are given a seal burial are those belonging to the United States navy or a maritime profession, you do not necessarily need to have a maritime connection for such burials.

As long as you have the EPA permits and required licenses, you are allowed to conduct a sea burial for a deceased loved one. In any case, you should never forget to abide by environmental laws. Once you have received the death certificate from a doctor, you can go ahead and submit an application for a sea funeral. For full-body sea burials, you may need to have a funeral director on site. Ash scattering in the ocean is simple and can be performed without the director.

It is also crucial to know that you cannot bury the deceased loved one simply anywhere in the ocean. The US government has designated some specific sites in every coastal region for these burials.

Why People Go for Sea Burials and Sea Ash Scattering

Sea burial is performed all across the world. The grieving family can pick the ocean for full body casket burial at sea or releasing the post-cremation ashes into the ocean from an urn. The practice of sea burial and ocean funerals is more common among sailors and those who work at the sea. Here are some key reasons as to why people select the ocean as their final resting place.

Dignified and Memorable

Sea burials date back centuries. You might have watched in movies how sea burials are carried out. The US Navy followed this tradition to bury veterans in a dignified and memorable manner. Today, it is available for just anyone who wishes for a sea burial or ash scattering at the end of their lives.

Whether or not you are in the US military, you can plan for a full-body ocean burial or ash scattering ceremony at sea. Burying your departed loved one at sea is a unique form of burial. Hiring a charter boat, getting to the site of burial, and then carrying out the entire ceremony in a beautiful way and releasing the ashes over the ocean in open water in a biodegradable urn. All of this makes for a beautiful sight both for the family and those who attend the ceremony. In fact, everyone in attendance will find it hard to forget the funeral event.

Less Expensive

Compared to a traditional burial, a sea burial is less expensive. Burying a loved one on land is a lot more expensive. A great deal of planning is required to successfully perform a land burial. The metallic coffin itself costs several thousands of dollars. Sea burial is much less expensive because it can be an attended ocean funeral or an unattended one as per your specific preferences.

Even if the sea burial is an attended one and you plan for taking a few people to the site of cremation in a charter boat, it will cost less than cemetery burials. Talk to one of our sea funeral planners for more details.

Environment Friendly

Burying a loved one at sea is environmentally friendly too. When you bury someone on land, it causes more environmental pollution and soil contamination. Compared to land burials, sea burials are a lot more friendly to the environment. In states that have a high and dense population, it can be difficult to create more spaces for land burials. If you want to save more land and cause less harm to the environment, you should definitely consider whole body burial at sea.

When it comes to sea burials, you will need to strictly follow a set of maritime laws and regulations. Burial at Sea in Southern California specializes in planning and arranging sea burials in a hassle-free manner. Being a professional funeral company, we’ll give you all the details on the burial-at-sea regulations and help you obtain all the necessary permits and licenses for the same. Right from boat hire and biodegradable caskets and urns, our professionals will plan out and conduct the entire sea funeral in a manner that is beautiful, dignified, and memorable. Feel free to talk to one of our highly experienced planners at Burial at Sea.

Religious Acceptance

Sea burials are permitted in all major religions. Whether it is Christianity, Hinduism, or Islam, the dead body of the deceased can be buried in the depth of the ocean. In fact, the Hindu religion has a common practice that involves immersing the cremated remains or ashes of the deceased into the Ganges. Islam also allows for sea burials in situations where land burials are hard.

The Roman Catholic Church allows for full body sea burials or burials of the cremated remains of the deceased. It further allows for the sea burial to take place either in a casket or an urn.

Based on the religion you practice, you can also plan ahead to say a prayer or a few words at the sea funeral of your deceased loved one. You can recite some text from the Bible or say a short poem to dignify the burial of the departed person as he or she is laid down in their final resting place.

Looking for a Sea Burial Planner?

One thing that the grieving family requires most is peace. If you plan for a sea burial or ash scattering in the ocean and want it conducted in a hassle-free manner, you should get in touch with Burial at Sea in San Pedro, CA. We specialize in organizing full-body sea burials and releasing ashes in the ocean from a boat, powered by twin 400 HP diesel engines. While you have our professionals by your side, you just need to sit and wait for the final moment while we acquire all the licenses and permits and take care of every little detail of the entire event.

For your free consultation, you can give our office a phone call or send us an email using the contact form on our website.