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Charter Boats for Scattering Ashes at Sea

Burial at sea off the coast of Southern California.
Private and customizable celebration of life.

Quick Details

We have multiple boat options. Prices vary by date, duration, number of people.
Scroll down for boat & pricing details.
Don't see the boat and/or time you need? Call us at 949-312-9672

Celebrate Your Loved One’s Life with a Chartered Boat for Scattering Ashes

We’ll help you arrange the perfect chartered boat for scattering ashes of your loved one at sea off the beautiful coast of Orange County, California. Find peace and comfort in a meaningful and dignified final farewell. We have a wide range of Coast Guard certified vessels operated by our professional crews.

Capt. Dave’s has received “five-star” ratings on Tripadvisor, Yelp, and Google. We are proud to have received the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence award every year since 2011. And we are very proud to be a three-time recipient of the Tripadvisor Hall of Fame award.

Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Logo

 

 

Answers To Common Questions About Scattering Ashes at Sea (in California)

Burial at Sea Boats and Prices

For scattering ashes at sea in California, we offer multiple boats to choose from: ORCA, DolphinSafari, Manute’a, or a Zodiac-style (rigid inflatable) boat. The best boat for scattering ashes will depend on several factors, including, but not limited to, the number of passengers you’ll have and your budget.

Don’t hesitate to call us at 949-312-9672 or text 949-763-4488 if you are unsure which chartered boat for scattering ashes would be best for the service you’re arranging.

ORCA

Up to 6 People

Price from $735

Fast Cat

Up to 10 People

Price from $430

DolphinSafari

Up to 20 People

Price from $810

AllsWell

Up to 20 People

Price from $1,050

Manute’a

Up to 49 People

Price from $2,790

Hoku Nai’a

Up to 149 People

Price from $2,600

Customize the Ceremony

Optional Burial at Sea Add-on Package

Celebration of Life*Champagne and yellow roses on gold reflective surface

In addition to your chartered boat for scattering ashes, the Celebration of Life package includes two dozen roses, a bottle of Champagne or sparkling apple cider to toast to your loved one, and bottled water.

Please contact us for a quote.

*Due to the nature of the boat, this package is not available on our Zodiac, Fast Cat.


Additional Customizations

Fruit-Cheese-Platter
Flower Petals in a Basket
Smartphones welcome for funeral music
Minister doing a funeral

Guest Experiences

TripAdvisor logo

"My siblings and I, along with our spouses and adult children, chartered Capt Dave’s to scatter our parent’s ashes at sea. We extended our charter so that we could enjoy the ocean and all that it has to offer. Dolphins guided us through the waters as we cruised the ocean. A blue whale appeared both before and after our ceremony of scattering the ashes. It couldn’t have been more perfect. From the first day that we contacted Capt Dave’s to inquire about a charter to our last good-byes on the day of the charter, everyone we dealt with was wonderful – professional, informative, caring and so, so friendly. Many thanks to everyone at Capt Dave’s for making our day a wonderfully memorable one – the perfect tribute for a very special couple."

– John E.
Yelp Logo

"Captain Dave’s staff; office and crew did an excellent job handling our Ash Scattering ceremony. They were respectful, safe and courteous, handled all of the details for us, and even added light to the event. I highly recommend them if you have to send someone off. They will treat you right and help you to say goodbye in the most beautiful way possible. I’ll definitely call them in the future for some recreational whale watching!"

– Spencer S.
TripAdvisor logo

"Awesome, awesome and awesome. They were prompt, curious and professional the whole way. We chartered a boat through Captain Dave’s to spread my late father-in-law’s ashes. Shannon, the person who assisted me with the order, was fantastic and very responsive to all of our needs. Captain Tom was extremely professional, helpful and very friendly. Everything from start to finish went off without a hitch and with a high level of dignity. It was the exact send off and closure we were looking for. Definitely recommended. Thank you so much to everyone at Captain Dave’s!"

– Frank W.
Google review logo

"This Father’s Day we had a burial at sea for my father. I want to thank everyone at Captain Dave’s for making this difficult time a wonderful experience. Everyone did an amazing job. Shannon (who made our reservation), Captain Marie and Allison were sympathetic, compassionate, respectful and did a wonderful job explaining the process to us. Right after we put my father’s ashes in the sea and the flowers on the water, we were turning around to head back and encountered a pod of over 100 dolphins! They were playing all around the boat, and there baby dolphins too. It was so very special. We have used Captain Dave’s in the past for whale watching, and will continue to use them in the future. I have already told multiple people how wonderful their entire team is and that I highly recommend them."

– Patty K.
Yelp Logo

We have used Captain Dave's Burial at sea service for both of my husband parents, now. They are so compassionate and easy to deal with. They also accommodated us by placing my Mother-in-law's ashes in the exact same spot her husband was placed 5 years earlier. Captain Neil and Hannah were so sweet and considerate. The customer service they provide is excellent. They also allowed us to go see a pair of Fin Whales in the area and informed us when one we saw went to the coordinates where we had just placed the ashes. It was very special and made the day so much easier on my husband. We will be returning for a whale watching trip with them soon.

– Kerry S.
Yelp Logo

Thank you for a very memorable and special morning facilitating an ash scattering for a loved family member. The crew went above and beyond, they were accommodating and kind. They made the day a huge success. Communication was excellent from the very first call. Thank you!

– Cindy G.
Yelp Logo

Captain Alex and first mate Will took our family out yesterday morning for an ash scattering service. They were great! It was really nice to be out on the water and they made it a memorable morning. Thanks to everyone at Captain Dave's.

– Allie S.
Yelp Logo

We've been on three trips with Capt Dave's and loved them all. We even saw a humpback whale on our first trip a few summers back with them which is an experience of a lifetime. The trip we took on 8-19-23 was perfect for our occasion. When I learned that Capt Dave's did an ash scattering trip I booked it over other companies. And they did not disappoint. The first cool part is that a hurricane was predicted to come through on our day of going out. I had family flying in from the east coast just for the occasion and it would have been so disappointing to miss the trip entirely because of the storm. However, we were able to work together to change it to the evening before so we could all still enjoy the experience. It turned out to be a beautiful evening--the seas were calm before the storm and the sun even peeked out through the clouds. Our captain, Gary and his assistant Lauren were so kind and respectful. It's not easy losing a loved one and spreading their ashes at sea, but they explained how we were going to do it and allowed our family time to celebrate our loved one in our way and after we finished spreading the ashes we added some biodegradable flowers which ended up floating on top of the water and they circled the area while we all quietly prayed and cherished each other and the moment--It was perfect. Seeing wildlife at sea is not guaranteed, and we always understand that when going out, but it was so lovely to come across some pods of common dolphins swimming alongside before we headed back. We even saw some babies who may not have been more than two weeks old. How amazing to see new life while saying goodbye to a loved one. Overall it was a lovely evening and my entire family of 11 guests loved every moment. Thanks you Capt,, crew, and staff for going above and beyond to make it a perfect occasion for our family!!

– Deonna H.

A beautiful place for scattering ashes at sea in California, Dana Point is the Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World®

With large numbers of year-round whales, dolphins, and other marine life such as sea lions, there is an excellent chance of viewing some of these magnificent animals from your chartered boat for scattering ashes.

If you would like a better opportunity to get up-close with dolphins and whales after your service, please ask your charter coordinator about booking an extended trip.