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Burials at Sea in California: A 2026 Family Guide to Why Demand Is Rising and How to Choose the Right Provider

  • Writer: The Duchess Yacht
    The Duchess Yacht
  • 2 days ago
  • 11 min read

By Captain Skip Rutzick, California Cremated Remains Disposer (Registered License #1036), USCG-Master licensed captain. Twelve years of California burial-at-sea ceremonies, audited periodically by the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau in good standing.


In 2015, Dignified Burials At Sea started providing Ash Scattering At Sea services off the coast of California. In 2025, Dignified Burials At Sea performed over 300 Ash Scatterings At Sea. In 2026, Dignified Burials At Sea will exceed 400 Ash scatterings At Sea. Growth of that pace happens as a result of accelerating demand, excellent service, reputation, and effective marketing!


More families from around the country as well as out of the country are choosing the ocean as their loved one's final resting place. This guide assists in understanding what an attended burial at sea actually consists of, and the very important factors every family should check before choosing a provider.


Key Takeaways:
California's cremation rate reached roughly 66% in 2025, mirroring the NFDA's national rate of 63.4% and a projected 82.3% by 2045 (NFDA 2025 Cremation & Burial Report).
Dignified Burials St Sea fleet has grown from less than 10 ceremonies in 2015 to over 400 projected for 2026.
Choosing a California burial-at-sea provider comes down to verifiable factors:

Years of operation, reputation, Carrying all proper State and Local licenses, including the California CRD license, US Coast Guard certifications for Passenger Capacity and safety, vessel options, permit handling, services provided, verifiable references and more!

What Is a Burial at Sea in California?


A burial at sea in California is a private ocean ceremony in which a properly licensed, compliant, "Passenger For Hire" vessel carrying a State Of California Cremated Remains Disposer License, scatters a loved one's ashes at least three nautical miles offshore. Aboard a yacht like The Duchess (for up to 6 total passengers, plus crew) or The Legend (for up to 41 passengers, plus crew), families will personalize their service with beautiful displays of pictures, mementos, and floral arrangements. Add a Dove Release, Stream the intimate service on Facetime, Zoom, or the platform of your choice with music streamed with our WiFi or from your playlist. Bring your Clergy, traditional customs and more, and feel free to ask our Captains to speak on behalf of your family.


You'll hear the same ceremony called several things. "Burial At Sea," "Ash Scattering At Sea," "Water Burial," Ash Spreading at Sea," and more. These are interchangeable across California. This guide uses "burial at sea" throughout for clarity.


One important distinction: this guide is specifically about ceremonies for cremated remains. Full-body burial at sea is a separate service provided by Dignified Burials At Sea as well.. "Full Body Burial" requires specific preparation and procedures meeting EPA requirements as well as vessels experienced at full-body release with the proper support staff. For the full legal walkthrough, see our California burial-at-sea legality guide.


Why Demand for Burials at Sea Is Rising in 2026

A group of family and friends gathered on the Legend's deck during a California burial at sea memorial

Cremation now overtakes traditional burial in California. Roughly 66% of Californians chose cremation in 2025, mirroring a national rate of 63.4% projected by the National Funeral Directors Association. The NFDA projects the U.S. cremation rate will reach 82.3% by 2045. As that shift continues, more families face the question of what to do with the ashes, and burial at sea has become one of the leading answers, alongside scattering gardens and home urns.

The shift shows up clearly in our own ceremony log. From 2015 to 2026, Dignified Burials At Sea services have grown roughly forty-fold:

  • 2015: Less than 10 ceremonies

  • 2016: Less than 20 ceremonies

  • 2017: Less than 50 ceremonies — the year demand started picking up

  • 2025: over 300 ceremonies

  • 2026: over 400 projected

That's a 400-fold change in just over a decade. It tracks the broader cremation shift, but it also tracks something more specific: families who have already chosen cremation increasingly want a ceremony tied to a place that mattered. For a deeper look at the values driving this, see why families are choosing water burial.


What a California Burial at Sea Looks Like, and Why Families Choose It

A mourner gently tossing a floral bouquet into the Pacific Ocean during an ash scattering ceremony off the California coast

An attended California burial at sea typically takes 2 to 3 hours from boarding to return. Roughly 45 minutes traveling out to the scattering point (3 miles offshore, then the ceremony itself (usually 30 to 75 minutes of words, music, the scattering, and a floral release), followed by the return trip to the Marina del Rey Harbor. The captain says a few words and invites family or friends to speak; the family runs the ceremony to whatever degree they want.


Why families choose burial at sea isn't a single story. Some families call us because the person who died loved a specific stretch of California coast. We hear that one over and over on the phone before a ceremony. Different family, same shape: "My parents loved Santa Monica." "My dad loved Manhattan Beach." "My deceased wife loved surfing at Zuma Beach." But just as often, families choose burial at sea for reasons that have nothing to do with the ocean itself. They want a dignified, peaceful alternative to a cemetery plot. They don't want their family tied to one geographic location forever. They're choosing cremation and don't want an urn on a shelf. Or, practically, a traditional funeral runs $10,000 to $15,000, and they want something more affordable that still feels significant.

The common thread isn't "the ocean." It's the search for something that feels right.


For a deeper walkthrough of what happens hour by hour aboard the vessel, see the full ceremony walkthrough.


Where Families Come From: Marina del Rey and Beyond


Dignified Burials at Sea operates from a single California harbor: Marina del Rey Harbor, Located in the heart of the metropolitan Los Angeles area and only 8 minutes form LAX Airport. Families travel from across California (and Arizona, Washington, Oregon Nevada, and all points East to West and North to South) to charter a ceremony aboard the Duchess or the Legend. Out-of-state families who can't travel, or choose not to for the ceremony can also ship cremated remains for an unattended scattering performed by Dignified Burials highly respectful and compassionate staff.


From around Southern California, families come from Long Beach (many drive north for the vessel quality; we cover the Long Beach vs Marina del Rey decision in a dedicated post), Newport Beach and Orange County, Ventura, and even San Diego. From farther out, the most common origins are Arizona, Washington, Oregon and Nevada. Those families either fly in for an attended ceremony or ship cremated remains for an unattended scattering.


If you're shipping ashes, one important update: as of March 1, 2025, USPS requires its BOX-CRE kit (free from any Post Office) for shipping cremated remains via Priority Mail Express. Customer-supplied outer boxes are no longer permitted, and Label 139 is still required on the package (USPS Publication 52, February 2026 edition; Federal Register final rule, February 19, 2025). Priority Mail Express remains the only US carrier with a published policy permitting cremated remains.


How to Choose a Burial at Sea Provider in California: Important items to Check


Choosing a California burial-at-sea provider comes down to important verifiable factors: years operating and ceremony count, California Cremated Remains Disposer license, vessel options sized to your family, permit and offshore-distance handling, all-inclusive pricing, and verifiable references. Here's what each one tells you.


1. Years operating and ceremony count. Ask the provider for both. A real specialist serves California families across many years and many ceremonies. We're now in our twelfth year, and the Dignified Burials at Sea fleet projects over 400 ceremonies in 2026 alone. Experience matters when the weather changes, the family is grieving, and the day cannot be rescheduled lightly, Dignified Burials At Sea will help the family through to accomplish their goal.


2. Properly Licensed for Commercial Activity, ( Passenger for Hire ), Inspected or Examined by the USCG, Proper Commercial Docking Leases and the very important, State of California Cremated Remains Disposer ( CRD ) license. 

For any vessel to carry "passengers for hire', they must comply with local, state and federal requirements. The licenses to provide "passenger for hire" services are very complex and require a large number of compliance items. In addition, vessels need to be either examined as an "Uninspected Passenger Vessel", or as in the case of Legend, "Inspected" annually by the USCG.


3. Vessel options sized to your family. Some California operators charter general-purpose luxury yachts that happen to also do burials: a sunset cruise this Saturday, a wedding next weekend, an ash scattering on Tuesday. Others operate purpose-built fleets specifically for burials at sea. The difference matters. A specialist captain on a vessel built for the work runs a different ceremony than a charter broker. Dignified Burials at Sea operates two vessels for this purpose: the Duchess (up to 6 guests) for intimate immediate-family services, and the Legend (USCG-certified for 41 guests) for larger memorials.


4. Permit and offshore-distance handling. Every legitimate provider files completed permits weekly with the county health department, transmits annually to the state Cemetery and Funeral Bureau after the last day of June, and travels beyond the federal 3-nautical-mile minimum required by 40 CFR §229.1. Reputable operators send the family a copy of every VS-9 disposition permit filed. See LA County permit requirements for the local rules that apply in the Marina del Rey departure region.


5. Services Provided. A reputable California provider includes the vessel, crew, captain, and fuel as a "Professional Time Voyage Charter" and not a "Bareboat Charter" where liability and responsibility are shifted to you as the "Charterer". The "Provider" will also file the permits with the Health Department and State of California after the scattering. A good service will provide the baskets, do all the preparation onboard, sound 8 Bells on the "Ships Bell" after the scattering, give the family a beautiful "Memorial Card" signed by the Captain with the exact GPS coordinates of the scattering and more. Current pricing for both vessels is available on the pricing page.


6. Verifiable references. Published testimonials, and third-party Google reviews should be easy to find on the website. Our testimonials page collects family responses going back several years.


Choosing the Right Vessel: The Duchess (6) or The Legend (41)


Dignified Burials at Sea operates two purpose-built vessels for California burial-at-sea ceremonies: The Duchess and The Legend. The Duchess is a more contemporary 63-foot motor yacht that hosts up to 6 guests. The Legend is a beautiful and classic, vintage, all Teak and Mahogany 70-foot motor yacht, USCG-certified for up to 41 passengers, with a crew that has served together for more than 10 years years in full dress uniform.


The Legend (70 ft). USCG-certified for 41 passengers. Operating from Marina del Rey with the same Captain and staff in dress-uniform.


The Duchess is the right choice for an intimate ceremony, where you will not exceed a total of 6 passengers.. The Legend is chosen for groups in excess of 6 passengers to a maximum of 41 passengers. Some families will choose Legend due to it's size regardless of having less than 7 passengers.


The Duchess yacht at sunset in Marina del Rey, California, a 63-foot motor yacht used for intimate burial at sea ceremonies for up to 6 guests

The Duchess (63 ft) — intimate ceremonies for up to 6 guests, departing Marina del Rey.


What's identical on both vessels: Highly compassionate staffs, availing exception service and experience at what is one of the most personal times in any families lives. Read more about The Duchess and The Legend, then call us to discuss which is right for your family.


What's Included in a Dignified Burials at Sea Ceremony — Plus a Note on Shore-Witnessed

A memorial table aboard the Legend with framed photographs, photo albums, and a white floral basket, items included with every Dignified Burials at Sea ceremony

A Dignified Burials at Sea ceremony includes the private vessel, captain and professional crew (in full dress uniform on the Legend), filing of required California permits after the scattering, federal-compliance offshore release at a minimum of 3 nautical miles, all preparation onboard and guidance throughout the entire process, food and beverage service, a sound system with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi streaming for whatever music you choose, display easels for photographs, and a flat-panel screen for slideshows aboard the Legend.


On the paperwork side: We file the VS-9 disposition permit after the ceremony, weekly with the county health department, and transmit the year's filings to the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau after the last day of June. Every family receives a copy of the document we file with the Health Department.


The overwhelming majority of families want to be aboard for the ceremony, and that's why this guide focuses on attended services. For the small group of families who can't physically, or choose not to be onboard but still want to either be present or know the exact day and time of the scattering, we offer an unattended with specific day and time option.: the family pays for a specific date and time, then has the option to gather at a convenient location, (IE: Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica Beach, Venice Beach) to observe from a distance, or watch the vessel depart the harbor, from (Fisherman's Village) or just know the time this is being done.


Basic Unattended Ash Scatterings At Sea are done monthly at a very nominal cost, and are scheduled based on the company schedule, and not subject to a family choosing a day and time, although with reasonable communication, we are able to give you a good idea when it will take place. Just as the attended Ash Scatterings At Sea, the family will receiver a copy of the paperwork filed with the Health Department as well as the beautiful memorial card signed by the Captain with with th3e exact GPS coordinates of the scattering.


Frequently Asked Questions


What is a burial at sea in California?


A burial at sea in California is a private ocean ceremony in which a California-licensed Cremated Remains Disposer scatters a loved one's ashes at least three nautical miles offshore. It complies with federal EPA rules (40 CFR §229.1) and California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau regulations, and requires a VS-9 disposition permit from the county health department.


Is burial at sea legal in California?


Yes. Federal law (40 CFR §229.1) permits ocean scattering of cremated remains beyond 3 nautical miles from shore, and California requires a VS-9 disposition permit plus a California-licensed Cremated Remains Disposer to perform the ceremony. For the full California legality walkthrough, see our dedicated post.


How much does a burial at sea cost in California?


Dignified Burials at Sea offers all-inclusive attended ceremonies starting $990.00 including tax for up to 6 passengers and increases in cost, based on the specific group size for groups up to 41 passengers aboard The Legend. For context, a traditional funeral in California averages $10,000 to $15,000. See the pricing page for current rates on both vessels.


How long does a California burial at sea ceremony take?


A typical attended ceremony for up to 10 passengers takes 2 hours and increases to 3 hours when groups exceed 10 passengers. Travel time is roughly 45 minutes each direction to the scattering location which is typically 3 miles off the Santa Monica Pier, ( although your choice of an alternate location is always welcome, time and distance allowing). The ceremony itself will typically range for 30 minutes up to 75 minutes based on your group size.


What's the difference between ash scattering and full-body burial at sea?


Ash scattering at sea uses cremated remains and is the Primary Service Dignified Burials at Sea provides. Full-body Burials At Sea is a service offered by Dignified Burials At Sea, and is a much more involved and costly service, but certainly something we are experienced at and prepared to do.


Can Veterans receive special Military Honors?


Yes, Dignified Burials At Sea has a dedicated Military Representative available for Military Honors. This service includes the Flag Presentation, (Flag provided by the family), Oral Presentation written for and specific to the Deceased Veteran, and taps after the scattering. If the family does not have the Military Flag, we can provide that at an additional cost. Military Honors are $250.00 with the family providing the flag.




A Final Word


Families from around the world are choosing burials at sea at record rates. The right ceremony, on the right vessel, with the right captain, is one of the most meaningful things a family can do for someone who loved the Ocean, a Lake, Water, or just looking for the most comforting way to honor their loved one and bring closure for the family and friends of the decedent. Choose carefully. Verify credentials, ask about the paperwork chain, look for all-inclusive pricing, pick a specialist captain who knows the water, and most importantly, choose the Company that Truly specializes in this very intimate moment in your families lives!


If you're starting to plan today, view our current all-inclusive pricing or call 800-842-4818 to speak personally with Captain Skip.


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