For those who seek an alternative burial as apposed to a traditional burial, you may want to explore burials at sea Monterey.  To give a little background on how it all started for this company, 

It all began with a whale watching trip purchased by a gentleman by the name of John Scourkes for his sister Jeannie. The following year, they chartered a trip for their mother’s 80^th birthday celebration. During the trip a wild Greek band played, Ouzo and Metaxa flowed, while cries of “opa!“ echoed through the harbor. Soon after, Jeannie was hit with devastating news that she had ovarian cancer.  Her dying wish was that her ashes be scattered on the Monterey Bay, with dolphins and whales about.

This was a heavy burden, not only emotionally but logistically. The day before the planned affair, the bay had been shrouded in a thick summer fog with an accompanying chilly wind. There wasn’t a whale or dolphin to be found. Fog was predicated again, but that morning dawned clear and warm, a soft wind barely rippling the water’s surface. Jeanne’s friends and family arrived at the boat early and there was an immediate hum of happy conversations. They were there to celebrate a life, not mourn its passing.

It took a while to locate the animals, but it worked so beautifully it played out as if scripted by a powerful hand. We worked slowly to the south with hundreds of dolphins and several humpback whales. John and his brother, helped by my wife and co-captain Heidi, scattered Jeannie’s ashes to Tracy Chapman’s “Hallelujah” and dolphins cruising by. A humpback whale lolled ahead on our port side, providing an escort. Passengers reacted with the joy of small children. They were breathless from dashing back and forth for the best views. I was at the helm as John gave a toast to friends and family on the sundeck. I stayed at the wheel, not wanting to intrude.

As Jeannie’s ashes were delicately poured into the sea from a beautiful copper urn by her brothers, friends and other family members aboard said their goodbyes.  At the same time, the animals she loved to watch with us, whales and dolphins, were so close and inquisitive that they may well have been saying, “Hello, Jeannie, we’ve been waiting for you.” Yellow roses rimmed with scarlet floated down into the water like autumn leaves on a lazy wind. Her ashes turned the water to a beautiful blue/green hue as Jeannie settled into her new home.

As we neared the harbor after several hours, sea lions cavorted, otters preened. I slowed the boat to make the final turn into the channel as  “Time to Say Good-Bye,” sung by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, played. The words are haunting… 

“I'll go with you on ships across the sea, which I know exist no longer. But with you, I will experience it."  

Disembarking, each passenger was handed a card that held a heart embedded with wildflower seeds. At the bottom was “Jeanne Ann Scourkes ~ Eonia i Mnimi.” Greek for "May her memory be eternal."