Can You Be Buried at Sea?

Detailed Explanation

For someone who spent their life on the water, a burial at sea can feel like the most fitting farewell. It is legal in many countries, but it's rare, and it is regulated much more closely than a cemetery burial. The reasons are practical: the body has to sink and stay down, it mustn't wash up on a beach or foul fishing gear, and the sea is protected under marine pollution law.

This page explains how burial at sea generally works and how three countries handle it. Rules elsewhere differ, and some countries don't allow it at all, so always check with the national authority where the burial would take place.

Burial at sea vs scattering ashes at sea

These two get confused all the time, and they have very little in common procedurally:

• Burial at sea means committing an uncremated body to the sea, usually in a weighted coffin or shroud. It generally needs a licence or permit and a specialist funeral director.
• Scattering ashes at sea happens after an ordinary cremation. It is far more common and usually needs little or no paperwork. In the UK, no licence is needed to scatter ashes. In the US, it's covered by the EPA's general permit, at least three nautical miles from land.

If a family wants to honour a connection to the sea but a full burial isn't practical, scattering ashes is often the answer. See what you can do with cremation ashes for other options too.

What a burial at sea generally involves

The details vary by country, but the same elements come up again and again:

• A licence or permit from the government body responsible for the marine environment.
• An approved location, either a designated site or waters meeting a minimum distance from land and a minimum depth.
• Strict preparation rules: a coffin or shroud built to sink, extra weight, holes so water can enter, and only biodegradable materials. Plastic flowers, wreaths and similar items are usually banned.
• Identification and reporting, so the authorities have a record of who was buried and where.
• A boat and crew, usually arranged by a funeral director with experience of sea burials. Not every funeral director offers it.

It also takes longer to organise than a cemetery burial or cremation, because of the licence and the logistics.

United Kingdom

In English waters (and Northern Ireland's offshore waters), a marine licence from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is needed. There are three designated sites: off the Needles on the Isle of Wight, between Hastings and Newhaven, and off Tynemouth in North Tyneside. A cheaper, faster self-service licence covers the designated sites; a standard licence is needed anywhere else. The MMO sets its fees to recover its costs, so check the current fee when applying.

The MMO's rules are detailed. The body must not be embalmed and should be dressed lightly in biodegradable material. The coffin must be solid softwood with steel bands, at least fifty 50mm holes, and a minimum of 200kg of added weight. Burials at the Needles site also require DNA samples, which are kept on the Missing Persons Database. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland's inshore waters are handled by their own authorities (Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs).

United States

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authorises burial at sea under a general permit issued under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act. Families don't need to apply for an individual permit, but they must follow its conditions:

• The burial must be at least three nautical miles from land.
• For an uncremated body, the water must be at least 600 feet deep, and at least 1,800 feet deep in some areas (parts of east central Florida, the Dry Tortugas, and west of Pensacola).
• The body or casket must be weighted so it sinks quickly and stays down. The EPA's guidance for caskets includes at least twenty 2-inch holes and a total weight of at least 300 pounds.
• The EPA must be notified within 30 days of the burial, using its online reporting tool.

The US Navy also runs a separate Burial at Sea Program for eligible veterans and their spouses. Eligibility and arrangements are set by the Navy, so families interested in it should ask the Navy directly.

Australia

In Australia, burial at sea comes under Commonwealth law, the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981, and needs a federal permit. Permits are assessed individually and granted sparingly, usually where the person had a strong connection to the sea. The Australian page linked below covers eligibility and the process in detail.

How it works where you are

• In Australia: Can you be buried at sea in Australia? covers the federal sea dumping permit, who is realistically eligible, and how a sea burial is arranged.

Things to Consider

• Raise it with a funeral director early. Only some funeral directors have arranged a burial at sea, and the licence and boat take time to organise.
• Think about whether family can attend. Depending on the site, the weather and the vessel, only a few people may be able to go out on the day, and bad weather can postpone it.
• There will be no grave to visit. Some families find that hard later on. A plaque, a memorial bench near the coast, or an online memorial can give people somewhere to go.
• Consider cremation followed by scattering at sea. It honours the same connection with far fewer requirements and can include more people.

Common Mistakes

• Applying the rules for ashes to a full burial. Scattering ashes is simple; burying a body at sea is not. The two are regulated separately.
• Assuming it can be done from any boat, anywhere. Location, depth and preparation are all controlled. A burial in the wrong place or without the right paperwork can break the law.
• Assuming the rules are the same in every country. Some countries license it routinely, some rarely, and some not at all.
• Leaving it too late. A sea burial usually takes longer to arrange than a cemetery burial or cremation, which matters if the family needs to set a date quickly.