a connection to maritime life
A burial at sea is the process in which human remains are committed to the sea as a final resting place. While traditionally reserved for members of the Royal Navy, anyone may be buried at sea if the right steps are taken.
For a burial at sea, family members may wish to hold a funeral at the shore or waterfront, or on the ocean itself. If there are several people in attendance, or if the weather and water conditions are not ideal, families will generally host the funeral on land.
As a unique type of funeral, burials at sea require specialist planning and permissions. To legally host a burial at sea, you will need to obtain a license from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), while burial locations are limited. Burials at sea also require specific preparation of the body and the coffin to prevent resurfacing, to ensure the body is identifiable, and to reduce the environmental impact.
Our ceremony for a burial at sea is tailored to your means and beliefs.
where can you be buried at sea?
There are only three designated locations around the English coast where burials at sea can take place using the self-service licence from the MMO.
These are:
- Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear
- Newhaven in East Sussex
- The Needles Spoil Ground near the Isle of Wight
There are also two designated areas in Scotland approved for burials at sea: off John O’Groats and off Oban West Coast.
When applying for a licence, you can suggest a different site for the burial but will have to provide evidence that it is a suitable location. It will need to be away from areas with strong currents, and not be near any commercial fishing areas.
For information on burials at sea elsewhere in the UK, families can contact:
- Natural Resources Wales, for burials in inshore and offshore areas
- The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, for inshore burials in Northern Ireland
- The Burial, Cremation and Death Certification Team, for burials at sea in Scotland
The MMO has set out clear standards for any coffin used in a burial at sea. Coffins must be made of solid soft wood and mustn’t contain any lead, copper, zinc or plastic. The inside of the coffin must be made using natural, non-toxic and biodegradable materials so it’s environmentally safe.
It’s important that the coffin goes to the seabed quickly, and so the MMO has also specified that coffins must be weighted at the base with 200kg of steel, iron or concrete, and must also have 40 to 50 two inch holes drilled throughout.
If you choose to use one of the three designated areas around the English coast for the burial, you will be eligible to apply for a self-service licence from the MMO at a cost of £50.
If you wanted to use a site other than the three approved locations, you would need to submit a full licence application to the MMO. This could cost upwards of £1,400 due to the number of external agencies that would need to be consulted, such as Crown Estates, Environment Agency, IFCA, local fisheries groups, Trinity House etc.
Other costs will depend on the funeral directors you choose and the boat charter company used to carry out the burial.
It’s worth noting that there’s no licence or permit required for the scattering of ashes at sea, and so this may be a more cost-effective option.
To arrange a burial at sea you will first need to appoint a funeral director who’ll be able to help make all the necessary arrangements. The funeral director will work with a professional boat charter business who specialise in burials at sea, and who will take care of the operational part of the burial.
The funeral director will be able to help organise a burial at sea much in the same way they will arrange a traditional funeral. They’ll be able to:
- help with documentation, such as the certificates needed to obtain a burial at sea licence
- provide a coffin that meets the criteria set out by the MMO
- liaise with the boat charter company to arrange date, time, and all logistics of the day
- provide transportation from the funeral home to the vessel
The boat charter company will organise a lot of the logistics of the burial at sea. They’ll:
- use the documents provided by the funeral director to obtain the burial at sea licence from the MMO
- help to decide the date and time of the burial, using their experience and research of weather forecasts
- transport your loved one and any other passengers to the place of burial in a vessel that meets the criteria of the MMO
we are here to support
We are here to support and guide you through every detail, helping you create a fitting ceremony and celebration of life.
Everything that we do is built on empathy, choice and providing value. Our belief is that since we’re all unique, our funerals should be too.
When a death occurs we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us if you need help and advice around bereavement even if not considering us as funeral director.
Call – 0191 257 1201
If you would prefer not to speak to someone just now, complete our online form and we will call you back within an hour.
serving the community since 1790
It was in 1790, when the founder of the business, John Turnbull, began work as a cabinetmaker and undertaker on the quayside at North Shields.
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