You have two choices for your sea burial. You can have your ashes scattered in the sea by the employees of a sea burial company, or by your friends and relatives. Or you can have a “whole body” burial at sea.

There are a myriad of sea burial companies, but apparently only one in the US who performs a full body service. Caskets must be flown into JFK Airport where they are prepared for marine submersion. You don’t necessarily have to be in a casket for burial though. You can have a full body or “mariners” burial dressed in only a shroud made of sailcloth but your body must not be embalmed. For either of these burials, your body is taken to the open ocean 65 to 85 miles off the southern coast of Long Island, NY and submersed to a depth exceeding 100 fathoms (600 feet). For more information see Natures Passage (www.naturespassage.com)

Other sea burial companies are www.seaservices.com, www.seaburial.com and www.aburialatsea.com. Prices for scattering of cremated remains range from $195 to $950 (for a group ceremony) and there are many companies available both on the west and east coast.

If you like the sea burial option and are scattering the cremains, have a look at some of the biodegradable sea burial urns available. By the time the urn settles to the ocean floor, it has already started to decompose, releasing the ashes to become part of the environment.