Answers
to Questions about Direct Sea Burial
Sea Services
receives many calls from individuals desiring burial at sea
without
cremation. On this page, we try to answer questions about
planning
a
direct burial at sea. Of course, complicated arrangements of this
type always
require
much planning and should be arranged long prior of any need.
Click on a question
below for an answer, or scroll down to read all the questions.
_________
Can
an uncremated body legally be buried at sea
in the United States?
Would a
direct burial at sea be expensive?
Why
can't I perform a full sea burial myself?
Can
you estimate a specific cost of a full burial at sea?.
I
seriously want to do this. Where do I start?.
Aren't there environmental laws and
regulations governing burial at sea?
Can an
uncremated body legally be buried at sea in the United States?
The simple
answer to this is yes. There are many restrictions and requirements,
however, the least of which concern maritime issues.
Many county health departments will not release a body to a captain for
sea burial. While this issue could probably be overcome, the cost
and time spent attempting to win a decision against a government agency
could be oppressive.
Would a
direct burial at sea be expensive?
A full body
buried at sea must be placed in waters of a specified depth, mainly to
insure that the body remains at the ocean's floor. To reach the
required depth can require a long journey in an ocean-going vessel.
Depending on the time of year, weather and sea conditions, special vessels
or crew members may be required. The costs of a 16-hour trip from
New York Harbor, as an example, could be quite costly.
Any
burial costs would be compounded by traditional funeral costs, if desired,
such as preparing the deceased for viewing and transporting the remains to
the vessel.
Added to
this are the costs associated with any legal actions necessary to insure
release of the body by county or state officials.
Why
can't I perform a full sea burial myself?
If
an individual was apprised of all applicable laws and regulations, secured
any necessary permits and had the proper craft to transport the remains
into the ocean, he could probably find a place where he could legally
perform a sea burial himself.
For the
sake of the environment, for your safety and out of respect for the law,
do not perform a sea burial without being certain you comply with local
and national regulations.
Can you
estimate a specific cost for a full burial at sea?.
A question
above describes the steps involved in full body burial at sea. All
these requirements are quite variable and greatly affected by location,
weather, local laws and politics.
If one were
to budget for a full burial that would be pre planned far in advance of
need, he should consider
spending at least two to three times the cost of a traditional funeral
with cemetery interment. Even then, any legal issues that had to be
resolved with political subdivisions such as the health department could
require litigation which could prove to be far more costly than burial
traditional costs.
I
seriously want to do this. Where do I start?
Sea
Services performs all types of burials at sea. Call us and let us
know of your serious desire for
a full uncremated burial at sea. We can probably help you find the
answers to your questions.
Understand, however, that the extensive research often required can be
costly and no guarantee can be made that we will be successful at
obtaining the proper permission and permits to meet your need.
Call us at 888 551-1277. The phone call is free.
Aren't there environmental laws and
regulations governing Burial at Sea?
Burial at Sea is governed by a myriad of
state and federal laws. Penalties for violating these laws are oppressive. Nothing can be
placed in the ocean without proper reporting to the U.S.
Government. When you employ Sea
Services, you are assured of full compliance with all applicable regulations in the area.
Government reporting is included with all Burial at Sea services.
