Finding Them Again: GPS Certificates and the Open National Ash Scattering Registry
Every Ocean Ashes sea scattering includes GPS on the certificate so families can find the place again. Our free Open National Ash Scattering Registry maps those memorials by name — search or add one at oceanashes.com/national-scattering-registry.
Families ask me the same question more than almost any other, sometimes the day of the ceremony and sometimes years later:
“How do we find the place again?”
I am Captain Brett McGhee of Ocean Ashes. When we scatter ashes at sea, we leave the marina, run offshore past the legal line, and release a loved one into water that does not stand still. The Gulf and the Atlantic keep moving. What does not have to move is the record of where you said goodbye.
That is why every Ocean Ashes ceremony includes precise GPS coordinates on a scattering certificate — and why we opened a free public map so those coordinates can still be found when paper fades, phones change, and the next generation asks where to look.
Why GPS belongs on every certificate
In U.S. ocean waters, cremated remains must be scattered at least three nautical miles from land under the federal burial-at-sea general permit. Official EPA guidance: https://www.epa.gov/marine-protection-permitting/burial-sea. We go that distance on purpose, then write down the latitude and longitude taken at the moment of release.
Those numbers are not decoration. They are the last known place. A sister may want to stand on a beach years later and know which way to face. A grandchild may only have a name and a story about “somewhere off St. Pete.” A friend of the family may never have been on the boat and still deserves a way back to the water.
On an attended charter from our flagship at Maximo Marina in Saint Petersburg (https://www.oceanashes.com/saint-petersburg), families often watch me record the coordinates while the petals are still on the surface. On an unattended scattering (https://www.oceanashes.com/unattended), you are not aboard, but the same care applies: offshore beyond three nautical miles, rose petals, EPA notice, photos, and a custom GPS certificate sent to you afterward. Popular unattended is $189. Deluxe is $250 and adds HD video plus three certificates. Extra certificates are $20 if siblings each want one to frame.
Private attended charters are $595 for up to six guests. Groups larger than six are split trips only; we do not arrange a larger vessel. The same GPS practice holds at our other ports — Destin, the Florida Keys / Islamorada, St. Augustine, and Galveston — so the certificate means the same thing whether the day was quiet and private or shared with the whole family on deck.
What the Open National Ash Scattering Registry is
A certificate in a drawer is only useful if someone can still find it. Paper gets lost. Phones get replaced. That is why we built the Open National Ash Scattering Registry (https://www.oceanashes.com/national-scattering-registry): a free, public map of scatterings at sea.
Search a loved one’s name. See the GPS. Record a memorial from any coast — whether the ceremony was with Ocean Ashes or with another captain elsewhere. It is not a cemetery and it is not a paid listing. It is a public record so the ocean, which is a living memorial, can still be found.
Each pin is a person: a name, the years of a life, the date the ashes went into the water, and the coordinates taken at the ceremony. Ocean Ashes ceremonies already go on this map. So can a scattering done by another family on another coast. Florida, Texas, California, New England. Gulf or Atlantic. If you have the name and the GPS, it belongs here.
You do not need an account to search. There is no fee to add a memorial. We review submissions by hand so the map stays accurate and respectful. If you placed a pin and later want it changed or removed, email brett@oceanashes.comand we will take care of it.
How to search or add a memorial
Open the National Scattering Registry. Use Search the map and type the name. Select the pin to see the years, the scattering date, the body of water, and the GPS. For a common name, add a middle name or the year they died.
To add a memorial, use Add a memorial on that same page. Pull out the certificate if you have one. You will need:
Loved one’s full name as it should appear
Year born and year died, if you have them
Date of the scattering
Latitude and longitude in decimal degrees (west longitude is negative — for example 27.673 and -82.796)
Body of water and, if known, the nearest port or city
Your contact information so we can reach you
You do not need to have used Ocean Ashes. This is an open registry. If you only have degrees-minutes-seconds on an older certificate, send it to us and we will convert it. If you have a story about “off Clearwater” or “near Destin” without exact GPS, write anyway — we can often place a respectful note near those waters.
How this fits the rest of a family’s plan
Some families book an attended day when travel is possible. Others ship ashes for unattended scattering when a boat day is not possible yet. USPS current rules: https://news.usps.com/2025/03/01/theres-a-new-rule-for-shipping-cremated-remains/. Either way, the GPS certificate and the registry are how the place stays findable.
Current packages and ports: https://www.oceanashes.com/new-products-1. Veterans: https://www.oceanashes.com/veterans-affairs. Traveling with cremains: https://www.oceanashes.com/ocean-ashes/2025/9/29/traveling-with-cremated-remains-the-definitive-guide-2025-update.
The ocean carries what we entrust to it. The certificate records the place. The registry is how you find your way back when the years have moved on.
If you want help reading a certificate, placing a pin, or choosing attended or unattended for your family, reach out. I answer when I can, and Ocean Ashes will treat your loved one as we would want our own family treated on the water.
Captain Brett McGhee Ocean Ashes · oceanashes.com · (727) 362-6393
Green Burials And The Ocean
environmentally-friendly death options are becoming ever more popular as the public becomes more and more concerned for the planet and it's well being.
Green Burial Practices Are Here To Stay....
environmentally-friendly burial options are becoming ever more popular as the public becomes more and more concerned for the planet and it's well being.
There are a myriad of companies and services that promote green burials and funerals. And it can be confusing and almost impossible to discern what actually is and isn't a green choice.
Whenever there is a new demand for a service people will always try to stand out by re-naming old services or invent new unconventional ones. Lets try to filter out the noise and make it simpler for anyone interested in a green burial.
Ocean Ashes Works With Organizations That Are Paving The Way...
The Green Burial Council (GBC) and the National Home Funeral Alliance (NHFA) have both made attempts to standardize the meaning and terms. But the basic principles are pretty standard across the industry.
They stress "A burial system that allows the body or cremains interment in the ground or sea in a manner that does not inhibit decomposition.
The essential aspects of green burial are the absence of a (cement or metal) grave liner or vault, non-toxic preparation of the body (no embalming), and use of containers made of organic(bio-degradable) materials. You can also check Glossary of Green Burial Terms, for the latest updates and industry standards.
Ocean Ash Scattering Offer Families A Perfect Green Burial Solution...
Taking all the criteria for Eco friendly burials into account I feel that anyone looking into this option should strongly consider a cremation followed by a ocean ash scattering.
This meets all the standards of a green burial and also eliminates the need for expensive cemetary plots and maintenance.
The ocean currents are the only force that can spread your remains not only over endless miles of ocean but literally the whole world.
The building blocks of life in the ashes will spread through the worlds oceans and become part of countless new plant and animal life. No other ceremony available can make such claim.
==>Please Click Here To Give The Gift Of A Ocean Scattering To a loved one
So now that you have all the facts I hope you're ready to consider Ocean Ashes as your provider for ash scattering. My goal is to make the process simple and easy to give peace of mind. No matter where you live there is an affordable option at your disposal.
What To Do With Ashes | 20 Wonderful Ideas for Cremated Remains!!
After a cremation family members are left with the question of what to do with the ashes. During this time emotions are still running high and it's hard to choose a plan of action. Here at Ocean Ashes we have picked the five most common solutions that our customers use to honor their love one.
If you’ve lost a loved one and are looking for special ideas for scattering ashes or where to put ashes from a cremation this list is for you.
After a cremation family members are left with the question of what to do with the ashes...
During this time emotions are still running high and it's hard to choose a plan of action.
Here at Ocean Ashes we have picked the five most common solutions that our customers use to honor their love one.
The great news is that you don't have to choose only one or two of these, cremation provides enough ashes to incorporate all of them.
Even the great Roman Empire had a variety of ways they spread ashes.
ocean ash scattering is our top pick and most dynamic solution.
There is no greater force on earth than our ocean currents.
In the ocean our remains are physically and spiritually spread around the globe.
Combined with a beautiful scattering certificate to display there is no finer choice.
==> Click Here To Give The Gift Of A Ocean Scattering To A Loved One!
Cremation jewelry is a great way to keep a piece of your loved one with you.
There are many great companies that will work closely with you on picking the right piece.
With just a tiny amount of ashes you can create many custom pieces for everyone in your family.
I am working with a wonderful artist to produce beautiful jewelry to honor your loved one. Please click here to view our necklaces.
Cremation Art is a relatively new memorial concept that is gaining more popularity...
Artists can incorporate the ashes into almost anything you can dream up. From lamps, vases, glassware, mirrors and oil paintings.
There are almost endless options to choose from. These are great family keepsakes that can be passed along from generation to generation.
This is a great example of such artwork artfulashes.com
Planting cremation ashes is a good way to memorialize a loved one...
It provides a physical place to go for friends and family to remember and also is a living, beautiful tribute.
There are many companies who specialize in urns designed to grow into a tree or plant.
Duke University has a program that combines ashes in their memorial garden.
If you plan on doing it on your own be sure to research the steps needed to make the planting a success, the ashes have a high ph and special steps must be taken. here is one such company www.thelivingurn.com
Teddy Bear Urns are becoming a popular choice and for good reason...
They are comforting, personalized and very huggable. These are great for someone who loves to snuggle up and remember.
You can choose from a wide variety of sizes and colors along with personalized messages.
I personally know of a family who ordered two of these after the loss of the family dog and their kids love them. Check them out here http://www.cami-bear.com/
While these are my top five choices the choices for after cremation ideas are only limited by your imagination. Please comment below if you have an idea that I left out.
Ash Scattering Facts
An ocean scattering is the best choice for your loved ones ashes.
Here at Ocean Ashes we feel that scattering ashes in the ocean is the best choice for cremains.
In 1999, the cremation rate in America was 25%. By 2018 that number will double, as one in two families will soon choose cremation over traditional burials.
The average cremation costs just $2,670, a fraction of the $7,850 that many will pay for body burial.
The eco-friendly elderly are choosing cremation ever more, considering that traditional burial — in addition to requiring a sizable plot — involves taking a body full of embalming chemicals and sticking it in the ground
While there are many great reasons to choose a ocean scattering I have listed many of the top benefits in this graphic. If you are interested in learning more please visit www.oceanashes.com
