burial at sea


burial at sea

The burial of a deceased in marine waters, either by weighting the shrouded body and dropping it in the water, or after cremation, with the ashes being scattered over the water. Burial at sea has a long tradition with the British, Canadian and the US navies, with pomp and circumstance that includes stopping the ship, firing party, crew at parade rest, casket bearers, a bugler and a flag draped over the coffin until it is dropped into the sea. Some religions (e.g., Judaism) are strictly opposed to the practice.