Full Body Burial at Sea
Full body burial at sea is an important part of sea burial services which we offer. It is becoming more common to have a family call us with a request for this. It is a very natural way to handle the physical remains of a loved one. Really, it is the most enviromentally friendly options ( green burial ). Even the carbon that would normally be created with a traditional burial or cremation is sequestered in the ocean, hence not adding to global warming.
The are many governmaent regulation and the pricing can vary depending on location and if the family wishes to use a shroud or casket. Although a full body burial at sea is more expensive than an ash scattering, it is still less expensive than a traditional funeral with a cemetery plot.
Because we have a funeral home
We are able to handle all aspects of this type of service.
We expect that the demand for full body burial at sea will increase in the coming years, as the price of traditional burial continues to escelate.
Full Body Burial at Sea – Questions
Often there is great surprise and a lot of questions around the question of burialing a full body in the ocean. It is a very old tradition and as long as mariners have sailed upon the waters there have been full body burials at sea. In the past, it was just a necessity because of lack of refrigeration where as today it is a sought after option. We find that increasing number of people are embracing it both as a way to connect to the past and as an embrace of the enviromental green burial movement.
We will attempt to answer some of the more common question we get asked about this practice, but by all mean do give us a call and we will be happy to speak with you about it.
Is this not Polluting the Ocean ?
Actually a full body burial at sea is probably the most enviromential service there is. It is far more enviromental than a casket burial and as well more enviromental than a cremation. any items placed win the ocean will degrade after a very short time ( including a casket ).
The carbon dioxide producted by the decay of the body ( and cremation ) on land is sequestered in the deep ocean, so does not contribute to global warming.
Do you work with Funeral Homes of San Diego to arrange this ?
We would be happy to work with other funeral homes both locally as well as nationally to provide your desired full body sea burial services.
It is common to transport a body across the country for a burial at sea. Many find the idea of their final resting place as the Pacific Ocean.
If you have not found a local funeral home to work with we can assist with finding one and will coordinate all activities.
Unique ideas to add to the Sea Burial ?
There are lot so things to do to taylor this experience to the person’s tastes who passed. Think in terms of the items to the right. Perhaps even decorate the yacht which flowers or give roses or leis to each peson on boats. Your imminagation is the limit here. Perhaps a special shroud is appropriate.
Flowers
Alcohol
Music
Poems
Tributes
How many People May Attend the Sea Burial ?
There is really no limit to the number of people that can attend the full body sea burial. We an use one or several yachts perpending on family preferences. With the full body burial there are often many people who are interested in attending because it is such a new experience.
Can you Bury at Sea an Embalmed Body ?
It is not a problem to bury at sea an embalmed body. We would corodinate with the funeral home involved ( hopefully our funeral Home Funerals Your Way ). It would be preferable to use a more green, enviromentally friendly embalming agent.
Even if a traditional embalming is done with normal enbalming it is still possible to do the full body burial at sea
Will the Body Float in a Few Days ?
We take every possible step to prevent this from happening. There are several factors the are taken into account.
The depth of the water the body is placed in has a huge effect on if it will float. The deeper the water the more pressure and the smaller volume any gasses producted by decomposition will have. We typically bury at over 3000ft, so gas volume in negligible. The pressure at that depth is 90 atmospheres.
Temperature of the water is another component. The colder the water the slower gas is produced during decomposition. In the San Diego at the depth we bury, the water is very cold, around 40 degrees or less.
The body is also weighted (with substantial weight). This is true of both a casket as well as a shouded full body burial. For information on the preparation of each of these see full body burial at sea shroud or full body burial at sea casket later on this page.
Will the Navy do this for No Cost?
The US Navy will also perform full body burial as sea. The Navy however will preform the burial on their time frame and often the deceased will be stored for months at their location awaiting burial. In our expereince the avergae time for the navy to assign a ship for the full body burial is 8 – 10 months. During this time the family will be encuring storage costs at the funeral home holding the deceased.
The Navy will required the purchase and preparation of an appropriate casket and the deceased will nned to be embalmed. Additionally family members cannot attend the burial since it is done during deployment on an active military ship. The fmily will be notified by the navy when the burial has been completed.
What is the Location for the Full Body Sea Burial?
The burial of a body at sea is governed by laws set by the EPA. The interment must take place in federal waters which means at least 3 miles of the coast. As well, the body must be placed at a depth of at least 600 ft. The depth ensures that the body will not be disturbed.
In our case, we exceed both these limts. Our prefered loation is west of Point Loma with a distance from shore of about 12 miles. This allows the burial to take place in about 3000+ feet of water,
Notice the deep trench of 3000 ft water that runs parallel to the coast about 12 miles out. We prefer to place in the deepest water possible. If there are other location off the coast that satisfy our depth requirements we are open to using that location.
Full Body Burial at Sea – Shroud Option
A shroud is a cloth covering for the body. It many take many forms but basically serves to protect the body and prevent it from being seen directly.
A shroud for a full body burial at sea is very different from a tradition burial shroud for a land bases service. It need to be durable enough, wrapped appropriately and weighted appropriately to transport and hold the body on the ocean floor.
A family may decide to use a shroud instead of a casket for several reasons:
- More natural. There is no large artificial object (casket) with the body. More reminiscent of days gone by with more natural burial practices.
- It is less costly. There is not a casket to purchase and prepare.
- A shroud is also easier to deal with on boat as less weight is required to deliver it to the ocean floor.
The shroud can be almost any color and should perhaps reflect the wishes of the decedant. It may also be decorades as the family wishes. Perhaps flowers can be added as shown above. In other cases, ribbons can be attached or love notes written on on or attached to the shroud.
Full body Burial at Sea – Casket Option
If the family has decided to use a casket instead of a shroud for the burial at sea.
A metal casket, similar to the one displayed, must be used because it must be able to deteriorate in the marine environment. This is a basic casket and comes in various colors. Other styles of casket are available if you wish to upgrade your selection.
A wooden casket is not appropriate as it will not deteriorate as easily and it will be a lot heavier. This would mean more ballast and it would be much more difficult to handle on a boat at sea.
Removing Plastic / Fabric Etc.
All materials that are non-biodegradable from inside the casket must be removed. This would include all types of plastic and anything else that would create marine debris.
If it will not degrade it will not be allowed inside the casket.
Drilling Holes in Casket
At least twenty 2 inch holes will be drilled in the casket to the allow water to rush in and the air to escape. This will result in it sinking rapidly. The holes may be covered with cloth or paper so the body is not visible, however no plastic containing adhesives or tape will be used.
Securely Sealing the Casket
The locking mechanisms on caskets are very minor because they are normally just buried. In the case of sea burial, the casket must remain securely closed. This is accomplished by branding the casket with at lease 6 stainless steel bands, chains or natural fiber ropes. One band should be placed over each of the two lengthwise axes of the casket (top-to-bottom and head-to-foot), as well as four bands at evenly spaced intervals along the narrow axis of the casket. This procedure is used because most caskets have both head and foot sections which may open.
Diagram from the United States Navy Burial at Sea Program’s Guidelines for Casket Preparation (2010)
Weighting the Casket
The casket must be delivered to the ocean floor in an expedient manner and remain on the ocean floor. To aid with this additional weight (ballast) will be added to the casket to achieve a total weight of at least 300 lbs. This will offset any bouyency from the body and casket itself. Some of the weight will be placed toward the feet to allow for feet first sinking.
