scatter ashes at sea in michigan
Florida’s Warm Embrace: A Peaceful Final Journey for Michigan Families
Your loved one’s laughter once warmed the coldest days—now let Florida’s sunlit waves carry that light forward. While Michigan’s lakes and rivers hold memories, they can also hold you back: icy winds off Lake Michigan that sting tears, postponed ceremonies beneath the gray skies of Detroit’s skyline, and the ache of waiting for spring along the shores of Lake Huron. Florida whispers a softer path. Picture this: you step onto a quiet boat at dawn, the Gulf breeze gentle on your face, and as you release their ashes into waters glowing like liquid sapphire, the ocean itself seems to breathe with you. Dolphins arc nearby, as if escorting them home. No permits. No delays. Just healing, wrapped in warmth.
A gentle grief ritual to carry with you: Before your journey, write a short letter to your loved one—memories of Lake Michigan’s breezy shores, a Tigers game roar, or quiet walks through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Read it aloud during the scattering. The waves will hold every syllable. Many families tell us this simple act turns pain into peace, like pressing “send” on a message that finally reaches them.
Choose your way to say goodbye:
Attended: Board a quiet boat at sunrise from a sleepy Gulf marina. Feel the warm water shimmer like liquid sapphire. Speak their name. Scatter their ashes as dolphins surface nearby—silent, graceful escorts into forever.
Unattended: If travel feels too heavy, simply ship the ashes to us. Our captain performs the scattering with the same reverence—sunrise or sunset, your choice—then returns a GPS certificate, HD video, and a vial of ocean water from the exact spot. No journey required, yet every detail honored.
With Ocean Ashes, every detail cradles your heart: EPA filings, GPS-marked coordinates, a video keepsake so you can revisit the moment when grief feels heavy. Fly south for a weekend. Return lighter. Ocean Ashes is proud to partner with the Michigan Funeral Directors Association (MFDA), offering seamless ash scattering services at sea as a trusted extension of their members' compassionate care, ensuring families across Michigan—from the farmlands of Central Michigan to the shores of the Great Lakes—can honor loved ones with dignity and warmth.
Ocean Ashes is proud to partner with the Michigan Funeral Directors Association. Learn more at www.mfda.org. Let Florida’s endless summer hold them—and heal you. Begin at www.oceanashes.com.
The EPA regulates burials at sea under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), specifically in 40 CFR § 229.1, which states that the burial of cremated human remains must occur in ocean waters at least 3 nautical miles from land, with no prior permit required but a report filed to the EPA within 30 days of the scattering. This ensures environmental protection while allowing for dignified ocean dispositions. Michigan, being a state with access to the Great Lakes but no direct access to the ocean, has no waters legally available for sea burials as defined under federal EPA guidelines.