Burial at Sea in Washington State
Washington State offers one of the most diverse and scenic settings for burial at sea in the United States. From the urban waterfront of Seattle to the remote coves of the San Juan Islands and the rugged Pacific coastline of the Olympic Peninsula, families here have meaningful choices. What makes Washington unique is that providers operate in two distinct marine environments — the open Pacific Ocean and the inland sea of Puget Sound — each with its own regulatory considerations.
Washington State Burial at Sea: Legal Requirements
Federal EPA Rules
All burial at sea in Washington's marine waters falls under the EPA's Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA). Cremated ashes must be placed at least 3 nautical miles from shore, and the responsible party must notify EPA Region 10 (Pacific Northwest) within 30 days of the service. Full body burial at sea is covered by the same EPA general permit, but carries stricter conditions — the remains must be committed at least 3 nautical miles from shore in water at least 600 feet deep, and the service must be arranged through a licensed funeral director. See Full Body Burial at Sea from Washington below.
Pacific Ocean Requirements
For services conducted in the Pacific Ocean off the Washington coast (accessible via the Strait of Juan de Fuca or directly from the Olympic Peninsula), the standard EPA 3nm rule applies. The Pacific waters off Cape Flattery, the Olympic coast, and Grays Harbor are among the most dramatic in the Lower 48. Conditions can be challenging, with Northwest Pacific swells common from October through April.
Puget Sound — Additional State Protections
Puget Sound is a semi-enclosed inland sea, and this changes which rules apply. The EPA's general permit governs ocean waters — those seaward of the territorial baseline — so the 3 nautical mile rule does not reach into Puget Sound, which is Washington state water. Disposition there is governed instead by Washington state law: RCW 68.50.130 permits disposition of cremated remains on public waters with the approval of the agency having jurisdiction, and RCW 68.05.195 requires a permit for anyone who is not the person with the legal right to control disposition under RCW 68.50.160. In practice, an immediate family member scattering ashes in the Sound does not need a permit; a business doing it on your behalf must be licensed. The Washington State Department of Ecology retains water quality oversight, and good practice is to stay clear of drinking water intakes, marinas, shellfish beds, and swimming beaches.
Washington State Department of Health
Full body burial at sea from Washington requires a transit permit and coordination with a Washington-licensed funeral director through the Washington State Department of Health. Cremated remains have lighter documentation requirements but should still be accompanied by a copy of the death certificate for the captain's records.
Burial at Sea in Seattle
Seattle is home to one of the most engaged communities of ocean burial practitioners in the Pacific Northwest. The city's maritime culture, deep environmental values, and proximity to Puget Sound make burial at sea a natural choice for many Seattle families. Departures take place from Shilshole Bay Marina (in Ballard), Lake Union (which connects to Puget Sound via the Montlake Cut and Ship Canal), and various Eastside marinas accessible via the ferry network.
Puget Sound provides a stunning backdrop for ceremonies — the Olympic Mountains to the west and the Cascades to the east create a 360-degree panorama of Pacific Northwest grandeur. For families who specifically want open Pacific Ocean settings rather than Puget Sound, operators can coordinate longer voyages west through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, typically running as day trips from Port Angeles or Neah Bay.
Seattle-area ash scattering services in Puget Sound range from approximately $495 (unattended) to $2,400 (full ceremony with up to 25 guests). Pacific Ocean voyages add travel distance costs.
Burial at Sea in the San Juan Islands
The San Juan Islands — including San Juan Island, Orcas Island, Lopez Island, and dozens of smaller islets — offer one of the most iconic settings for burial at sea ceremonies in Washington. The archipelago sits in the Salish Sea, shared between the US and Canada, surrounded by marine wildlife including orca pods, harbor seals, and bald eagles.
Services in the San Juans typically depart from Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor on San Juan Island, or from Anacortes (the mainland ferry terminal). Orcas Island's ferry landing also serves as a departure point. The Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north of the islands provides direct Pacific access. Families staying on the islands for a week or extended visit sometimes combine a memorial service with a meaningful family trip to this beloved Washington destination.
Full Body Burial at Sea from Washington
Full body burial at sea is considerably more regulated than ash scattering, and it cannot be arranged as a simple boat charter. The EPA authorizes it under a general permit — there is no application to file in advance — but the conditions are strict. Non-cremated remains must be committed at least 3 nautical miles from land and in water at least 600 feet deep, and the responsible party must report the burial to EPA Region 10 within 30 days. Off the Washington and northern Oregon coast, the nearest water of that depth is the head of the Astoria Canyon, roughly 6 nautical miles out from the mouth of the Columbia River.
A Washington-licensed funeral director is required. The body is not embalmed; it is wrapped in a biodegradable shroud (or placed in a permitted casket) and weighted with ballast — commonly 160 lb or more of stone or sand — so that it sinks rapidly and permanently. The funeral home also handles the death certificate, the Washington Department of Health transit permit, and transport to the vessel.
How the fees are usually structured
Two parties are typically involved, and it is worth understanding which one you are paying for what. The funeral home is contracted and paid separately for its own services — permits, preparation of the body, the shroud and ballast, transportation, and documentation. The vessel operator supplies the boat and crew and conducts the committal, and its fees may be billed separately or bundled into the funeral home's package depending on the arrangement. Ask for a written breakdown from both, and confirm which party is filing the EPA Region 10 notification. Washington's local options run roughly $5,000–$7,000 all in; national operators charge substantially more.
Does the family need to be there?
Attendance is optional. Many providers will perform the burial with no family aboard and return the log entry, chart position, and photographs afterward. Others carry a small group — Penttila's can take up to 20 guests, while a smaller sportfishing vessel out of Ilwaco is limited to about six. Vessel capacity, the distance offshore, and sea conditions on the day all constrain how many people can realistically come along, and the Columbia River bar crossing is not a gentle ride in winter.
Washington Burial at Sea Providers
These Washington businesses can provide further information on burial at sea and ash scattering in state and Pacific waters. Listings are informational only — OceanFarewell has no commercial relationship with any of them, and no endorsement is implied. Prices shown were published by the providers and may have changed; verify licensing, EPA compliance, and current pricing directly.
Funeral & Cremation Care
A licensed Washington funeral home offering full body burial at sea with the casket committed in Puget Sound, plus attended and unattended ash scattering from its own yacht. The most straightforward option for families in the Bellingham, Seattle, and North Sound area, since the funeral-director side and the vessel are handled by the same firm. Because a Puget Sound committal sits inside state waters rather than the open ocean, ask specifically how they satisfy the depth and distance requirements and which agency they notify.
Published: full body $4,995 · ash scattering $150 unattended / $1,500 attended · call (800) 764-0895
Penttila's Chapel by The Sea
A family-owned funeral home on the Long Beach Peninsula, operating for more than 60 years. Its full body burial at sea takes place about 6 nautical miles offshore over the Astoria Canyon, using a chartered vessel out of Ilwaco. The unembalmed body is wrapped in a 100% biodegradable custom shroud and weighted with roughly 160 lb of stone ballast; up to 20 guests can attend. Also offers green burial, alkaline hydrolysis, and natural organic reduction.
Published: full body burial at sea $6,900 · call (360) 642-8885
Pacific Salmon Charters
A charter operation with more than 40 years on the Columbia River bar, licensed to carry both ash scatterings and full body burials at sea from Ilwaco. This is the vessel side of the arrangement rather than a funeral home — Penttila's Chapel uses them for its full body committals — so you will still need a licensed funeral director for a full body burial. Services are arranged by prior appointment and are typically limited to six passengers. They note a particular connection to military families, commercial fishermen, and people who spent their lives on the coast.
Call for pricing: (800) 831-2695 or (360) 642-3466 · pacificsalmoncharters@gmail.com
New England Burials at Sea — Washington Service Area
A national burial-at-sea operator founded in 2006, serving Washington from Seattle and from Astoria just across the Columbia from Ilwaco. It does not employ its own funeral directors — it coordinates full body burials through a network of participating "sea burial certified" Washington funeral directors, so expect a separate funeral home bill on top of its charter fee. Charters run out to 100 fathoms, which from these ports can mean a long trip offshore. Its published rates list the burial shroud and ballast weights as separate items, plus an 18% administrative fee. Booking for every port, Astoria included, goes through its Massachusetts office on the toll-free line below — there is no local Astoria or Seattle number, and the main office keeps Eastern hours, so an afternoon call from the Pacific Northwest may not be answered.
Published: full body from about $9,750 unattended · shroud $2,675–$2,875 and ballast about $375–$395 extra · ash scattering from $1,375 unattended · plus 18% admin fee · call (877) 897-7700
Sea Services
A national arranger working through U.S. Coast Guard licensed captains, scattering ashes from Washington ports since 1991. Two formats: an attended private family charter, and an unattended captain's service that returns a memorial certificate with the GPS coordinates. Cremated remains only — not a full body burial provider. Worth knowing before you book: a departure from Seattle, Port Angeles or the San Juans stays in inland state waters, where Washington law applies rather than the federal three-mile ocean rule described above. Westport is the ocean departure.
Published: captain's service from $325 · family charter on request · call (888) 404-9880
U.S. Navy Burial at Sea Program — Naval Base Kitsap
Open to active duty members, retirees, honorably discharged veterans, and eligible dependents. The Navy performs the committal from a ship at sea at no charge to the family, and afterward returns the flag, photographs, and a chart showing the committal position. Family members cannot attend, since the ship is deployed, and the timing depends on the ship's schedule — this can take months. The family arranges transport of the remains to the departure point, and a local funeral home handles preparation.
No cost to eligible families · Naval Base Kitsap: (360) 475-4313 · national Mortuary Affairs line: (866) 787-0081
Know a Washington provider that belongs on this page? Let us know.
Crossing the Columbia: Oregon Options
Full detail, more ports and published charter prices are on our Oregon burial at sea page.
Southwest Washington and northwest Oregon share the same stretch of water, and several operators work both sides of the Columbia River bar. If you are arranging a service from Long Beach, Ilwaco, or anywhere in the lower Columbia region, the Oregon providers below are worth a call too — Astoria is a short drive from Ilwaco across the Astoria–Megler Bridge.
- New England Burials at Sea — Oregon · (877) 897-7700
Sails from Astoria, Newport, and Depoe Bay. Ash scattering and full body burial at sea, coordinated through participating Oregon funeral directors. Same rate card as its Washington service area. - Ashes on the Sea · (877) 277-2799
Operating since 1997, with ash scattering roughly 3 nautical miles west of Newport, and full body burial at sea offered on the West Coast. Also offers memorial reef placement. Confirm full body availability for your specific Oregon port when you call. - Sea Services · (888) 404-9880
Ash scattering and cremated-remains urn committals from Astoria, Newport, and Coos Bay, with attended family charters and an unattended captain's service from $325. Cremated remains only — not a full body burial provider. - Ocean View Funeral & Cremation Services · Astoria, OR · (503) 338-7200
A northern Oregon coast funeral home serving the lower Columbia since 2008 — a starting point for the funeral-director side of an Oregon sea burial.
Oregon has no state-level burial-at-sea permit of its own. The same federal EPA rules apply, and the 30-day notification goes to EPA Region 10 in Seattle, which covers both states.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I scatter ashes in Puget Sound?
Yes. Puget Sound is state water rather than federal ocean water, so the EPA's 3 nautical mile rule does not apply there — which is fortunate, because much of the Sound is narrower than that. Washington law allows scattering on public navigable waters, including Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and an immediate family member with the legal right to control disposition does not need a permit to do it. A business scattering on your behalf must be licensed. Reputable Seattle operators have established locations in the main basin and the Strait; avoid drinking water intakes, marinas, shellfish beds, and busy swimming beaches.
What is the best time of year for burial at sea in Washington?
Summer (June–September) offers the most reliably calm conditions on both Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Ocean services on the outer coast can be rough October–April with significant Northwest Pacific swell and northwest winds. Puget Sound is more sheltered and can be navigated year-round, though winter months bring rain and shorter daylight hours. Many families choose summer for the combination of calm seas and extended daylight, which allows for beautiful sunset ceremony timing.
Can I charter a vessel to the San Juan Islands for a burial at sea ceremony?
Yes, and this is a popular option for families connected to the San Juan Islands. Operators based in Anacortes, Bellingham, or Friday Harbor can accommodate ceremonies in the islands. It's also possible to charter a vessel from Seattle for an overnight or multi-day trip to the San Juans if the family wishes to combine a memorial with a longer stay. Costs for San Juan Islands ceremonies are higher than standard Puget Sound services due to travel time and fuel — expect $1,200–$2,800 for an attended ceremony.
Legal & Regulatory Contacts
- EPA Region 10 (Pacific Northwest): epa.gov — Ocean Burial Notification
- WA Dept. of Ecology — Water Quality: ecology.wa.gov
- WA Dept. of Health — Funeral Licensing: doh.wa.gov
- NFDA (National Funeral Directors Association): nfda.org
Explore Pacific Northwest Neighbors
- Burial at Sea in Oregon — the other side of the Columbia bar
- Burial at Sea in California
- Burial at Sea in Canada (BC Coast)
- View All US States