‘Free to roam the world’: Why some families choose to scatter their loved ones' ashes at sea

Singapore

Funeral providers expect private arrangements for sea scattering to still appeal to families, even as a government-led ferry service begins next year.

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06 Nov 2026 06:00AM

SINGAPORE: Like his mother before him, Mr William Tan wants his ashes to be scattered at sea after he dies.

The 61-year-old likened being released into the sea to a sense of "freedom". 

"Our family likes the sea," Mr Tan said simply when asked why his family scattered his mother's ashes at sea rather than inland or instead of keeping them in a columbarium niche.

He chartered two private boats through a funeral service provider for his family for the farewell, but families may soon have another option – a new ferry service piloted by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

The two-year pilot will begin in the second half of next year from Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal, with multiple groups travelling on the same vessel.

NEA said the pilot is intended to make sea ash scattering more accessible as Singapore’s population ages and demand for after-death services grows. It adds to other options for handling cremated remains, including scattering at designated inland facilities, available since 2021.

CHOOSING SEA OR LAND

A study on wake spaces by the Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Singapore, conducted in 2023 and 2024, found substantial interest in ash scattering. 

About 42 per cent of respondents said they preferred it, including 27 per cent who favoured scattering ashes at sea and 15 per cent who preferred inland scattering.

Funeral directors CNA spoke to reported varying levels of demand for sea scattering compared with other methods, although most agreed that columbarium niches remained the most popular option.

Before inland scattering was introduced, families who did not want to keep ashes in a columbarium would mainly have considered the sea, said Ms Angjolie Mei, founder of The Life Celebrant.

"Based on our experience, ash scattering in total accounts for about 15 per cent of our cases, split fairly evenly between inland ash scattering and sea scattering.

"The majority of families we serve still choose to place the ashes in a columbarium niche, while keeping ashes at home remains a much smaller proportion."

Empathy Funeral Service founder Eugene Tan said the company has seen a moderate rise in sea scattering alongside growing demand for inland ash scattering. 

More than half of his clients prefer a columbarium niche. Among the rest, twice as many opt for sea scattering as inland ash scattering.

It is similar for clients of Passion Bereavement Care, where columbarium niches remain the most popular choice, followed by inland ash scattering and sea scattering.

Mr Kenneth Yeow, founder of independent funeral consultancy The Afterlife Bro, said 70 per cent of his customers chose sea scattering, compared with 30 per cent who chose inland ash scattering.

WHY SEA SCATTERING

Funeral providers said some customers chose the sea because they wanted their loved ones' remains to be in a more natural resting place.

"The main reason families choose sea scattering is usually because it reflects the wishes or personality of the deceased," Ms Angjolie said.

"Some people have specifically expressed that they do not want their ashes kept in a niche and would prefer to return to nature or be released into the sea."

Others do not want to burden their families with future upkeep.

"We also come across individuals who make this choice because they do not want to become a burden to future generations. They may feel that having a niche creates an ongoing responsibility for their children or grandchildren to maintain it, visit it or eventually decide what to do with the ashes in the future. For them, sea scattering can represent a sense of freedom and completion," Ms Angjolie said.

Procurement manager Eileen Chua, one of her clients, chose the sea for her grandmother and uncle, whose ashes were scattered separately more than five years ago.

"If we put the urn in a columbarium, do we really have time to keep going back to maintain? So maybe my generation, we still will, but the younger generation, I think they will not remember, or maybe they don't even know where to find (it),” said the 51-year-old.

Mr Eugene Tan said some families believe all water bodies are interconnected, allowing them to pay respects and offer prayers at any beach or waterway around the world.

Ms Chua felt the same way. "So with sea burials, I feel there is a different kind of freedom. So when I miss (my loved ones), I don't have to go to a particular place. I can be anywhere in the world, even when I'm overseas.

"I can just look at the sea, light a candle and talk to them. So I like to think that they are free to roam the world rather than being confined to one building," she said, likening it to allowing her deceased relatives to "continue their journey".

"So even now, I still talk to my grandma, my younger uncle and even my dog when I miss them, because my dog also did a sea burial,” she added. “I know they are no longer physically here, but somehow knowing that they are out there makes me feel connected to them."

For the same reason, she would not have chosen land scattering even if it had been available at the time, as she felt it would tie her memories of her loved ones to a single location.

Ms Deborah Kang, the founder of Passion Bereavement Care, said one client who chose sea scattering told her children: "Whenever you see the sea, you can remember mummy.” 

She also recalled a son who feared that scattering his mother's ashes at sea would weaken his connection with her.

"I told (him) to tell mummy what you want to (achieve) for the next year, and come back and show her your result," Ms Kang said. 

On his mother’s first death anniversary, the son visited the seaside with Ms Kang, bringing flowers and offering prayers. He continued the ritual over the next few years, using the occasion to reflect on his achievements.

In another case, a couple wanted their ashes kept until both of their ashes could be scattered at sea together, Ms Kang said.

IS LAND ASH SCATTERING CHEAPER?

Inland ash scattering is available at the Garden of Peace at Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, which opened in May 2021, and the Garden of Serenity at Mandai North Crematorium, which opened in August 2025.

Cost is one reason some clients choose the sea, with most funeral service providers CNA spoke to charging less for sea scattering than inland scattering.

Ms Kang charges between S$300 (US$235) and S$380 for sea scattering, which covers boat rental and service crew. Inland scattering costs around S$550, including a S$320 service fee charged by the two inland facilities. 

Religious rites such as prayers led by monks, floral arrangements and other ceremonial arrangements would increase the prices for both sea and inland scattering.

NEA's pilot ferry service could lower the cost of sea scattering further, with each application costing S$50.

Still, some families prefer inland scattering for its convenience, particularly if they have relatives with mobility issues or who are prone to seasickness.

Families typically depart by boat from Changi Point Ferry Terminal for a designated site 3.2km east of Raffles Lighthouse. Sea scattering is permitted between 7am and 7pm.

Mr Eugene Tan said some clients choose inland scattering because of the inconvenience of travelling to Changi, as well as the appeal of a relatively new option.

A SHARED FERRY OPTION

NEA's pilot ferry service will operate weekly and be managed by an appointed operator. 

The agency said each trip can take up to eight groups of up to six people each, offering a cost-effective option for families. 

Mr Yeow supported the service, saying it could streamline arrangements for families by bringing cremation and sea scattering under NEA, reducing the likelihood of miscommunication between service providers that he said was a challenge in coordinating funerals.

Mr William Tan said he would be open to such a service, provided each family had sufficient space and privacy to grieve.

When he scattered his mother's ashes at sea in 2023, his family chartered two boats to take about 20 family members out to sea, including his siblings and their children. 

Asked whether the six-person limit would affect his decision to use the service, Mr Tan suggested the operator consider taking fewer families on each trip to allow more relatives to come along. Otherwise, he would have to opt for a private service. 

Funeral service providers similarly said families seeking more privacy and space for religious rites would still choose private services.

"NEA’s service is likely to provide families with a more standardised and affordable shared ferry arrangement, which may work well for smaller families who are comfortable travelling together with other bereaved families," Ms Angjolie said.

A private service, she said, offers more flexibility in the number of family members attending, timing, privacy and how the farewell is conducted. Families may also include religious rites, flowers, music or other personalised elements.

"So I would see the two services as serving slightly different needs – NEA provides an accessible shared option, while private providers can offer a more customised and intimate farewell experience," she said. 

Ms Kang was concerned that families might feel rushed during the sea scattering ceremony, and said they should be given sufficient time and space to grieve.

"We still have to do it in an honourable and respectful way,” she said. 

Ms Chua, who attended two sea scattering ceremonies arranged by a private provider, said she would still prefer a private arrangement, partly for the guidance. 

She recalled how the provider guided her relatives through the final rites for her grandmother and uncle, as some family members were unfamiliar with the religious procedures.

"I still think the final journey is a very personal one, so I think I will want to spend the final moment with a loved one in my own space, rather than share it with other people," she said. 

Source: CNA/wt(mi)