What can be done prior to death occurring?
Record your wishes, advise family members and even prearrange with your funeral service provider.

What should one do when death occurs?
Arrangements for disposition of the deceased generally can be made by a spouse, next of kin or legal representative, in the case of wills or prearrangement.
It goes like this.
     1. The death is pronounced by a coroner, medical examiner or attending physician.
     2. The reporting party or an assigned person contacts all relatives.
     3. The family member handling the arrangements opens the deceased letter of directions/will, and/or insurance policy, and/or prepaid funeral contract.  They then contact the service provider requested and it goes on from there.
     4. In the event a death occurs out of state or country, it is advisable that you immediately contact the service provider chosen in the letter of wishes, or if no directions were left, that you contact a funeral director and advise them of the type of burial desired, the disposition of the deceased, so proper arrangements can be made.
    [NOTE:] It should be noted that a full body burial at sea could be made NOT-possible by a coroner or funeral director in possession of the deceased following standard guidelines without knowing the wishes of the deceased.  It is therefore extremely important that the local Funeral director contact the coroner in in the city of death and advise them as to procedures for transportation of the deceased.

Can I attend the Scattering or Urn burial?

Yes. There are some requirements and there is a minimum fee.

Do I have to attend the scattering or urn burial?

No.  We will send you a certificate of burial document.  It will show the Date, Time, and GPS location, the water temperature and Weather conditions at the site of the service.  We also provide a map of the burial site and the route taken to get there, along with a photograph of the service.

Can an un-cremated body legally be buried at sea in the United States?

The simple answer 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 is a problem for some it is why all we do is burials at sea.

Would a direct burial at sea be expensive?

The simple answer to this is yes, it can be, but not any more costly than a grave site burial in most cases and much less in others.

There are a great number of factors to be considered in a sea burial:
 

A full body buried at sea must be placed in waters of 100 Fathoms (600 feet), mainly to insure that the body remains at the ocean 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.  A typical trip from Galveston Bay area can take 18 to 24 hours round trip.

Any burial costs could be compounded by traditional funeral costs, if desired, such as the preparing of the deceased for viewing and transporting the remains to the vessel.  Added to this are the costs associated with the legal paperwork necessary to insure release of the body by county or funeral facility.

Why can't I perform a full sea burial myself?

If an individual was apprised of all laws and regulations, secured any necessary permits and had a proper ocean going vessel to transport the remains into the ocean, he could probably find a place where he could legally perform a sea burial himself.

However for the sake of the environment, for the safety of the passengers and crew, and out of respect for the law, do not perform a sea burial with out being certain you comply with local and national regulations.

Can a family bury its own dead with out using a licensed funeral director?

YES. What is legally required is a statement of death, death certificate, and burial-transit permit. Generally, local ordinances prohibit do-it-yourself burials within city limits.  Check with the State Health Department for applicable rules.

I seriously want to do this.  Where do I start?

FUNERAL-AT-SEA performs all types of burials at sea. Call (832) 364 6575 or E-Mail us with your information, and we will help you find the answers to your questions.  Understand each Country, its states, and counties have there own rules and regulations which must be met to have a burial.  The costs of extensive research, if needed to meet your needs, will be added to your burial costs.

     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 FUNERAL-AT-SEA you are assured that all applicable regulations in the area have been met.  Government reporting is included with the burial service.

How do we send the ashes to you?

     CREMAINS must be sent to us Certified US Postal Service, in the US and FED-X Special handling for out side the US. 

Do you have references?

     YES. References are available upon request.

Do you do special requests?

     Yes. Please contact us for a help with you planning and needs.

What is a Floral Visitation?

    Its a return to the site of the sea burial to remember the loved ones passing, where Rose petals are spread on the sea.  Yes there is a limited number of passenger seats on the boat. contact us for more info.

Do you do pet scatterings?

     YES. Pet scatterings can be accommodated. Please call for detail