Something fishy is going on off the coast of Dorset, England, and the locals could not be happier about it. The county counsel approved a proposal to construct a series of artificial offshore reefs on an area of seabed covering slightly more than half a square mile. In addition to an intentionally sunken navy ship intended to appeal to divers, there will be a reef populated with bereavement balls intended to appeal to those whose end-of-life requests include a burial at sea. They are also intended to appeal to lobsters. It is a multifaceted plan meant to provide alternative funeral and memorial services while encouraging more people and fish to visit the community.
Sunken Treasure
Bereavement balls span a bit over three feet in diameter and may be interlocked with other orbs to form the base of an artificial reef. Cremated remains are built into the concrete orbs as an alternative to having a loved one's ashes scattered across the water. The Dorset balls will have holes bored into them so that young lobster and fish such as cod and whiting may grow and find protection within the reef. Each bereavement ball has a memorial plaque to honor the loved one. Family and friends may witness the sinking of the bereavement ball from a nearby boat, upon which an officiant may perform a funeral service. The truly adventurous may eventually be able to dive down and see the reef for themselves. Families and friends are slated to receive pictures of the underwater memorials so they may see how the reef changes and grows with time. There are also plans to make videos for distribution.
A Living Monument
Bereavement balls are a way to cast a loved one's ashes into the ocean while retaining the ability to visit the site where the ashes are housed. Many people find it comforting to know that there is a specific site on the ocean floor where the ashes of the person they loved rest. People who choose this way of managing the body after death may take comfort in the idea that they are contributing to strengthening an underwater ecosystem. Scattering ashes upon water is a custom that goes back centuries. Bereavement balls follow that tradition with a proactive twist toward conservation. For some, it becomes an aquatic method of both returning to the earth and feeding it.
Boosting the Local Community
The concrete monuments are part of a wider plan to finance the reef. The project is being designed in the hope that it may increase visitors to the area and boost the local economy. Offshore developments have been cropping up elsewhere across coastal communities with the intention of appealing to recreational divers in particular. Bereavement balls seem to be a natural extension of the collective mission to draw people to the area while helping to improve the underwater ecosystem. The inclusion of funeral services in a conservation and economic plan comes about through a group effort. Fundraising and administration may continue to be a cooperative enterprise between:
- Local fishermen
- Professional diving operations
- Businesses
- Residents
Underwater Life
While the project may have specific goals toward tourism and ecology, it may impact and reflect changing public attitudes toward traditional internments, cremations and funeral services in general. Bereavement balls form part of an interactive environment that brings memorials to the center of human activity, rather than keeping them sequestered to a cemetery. They share the philosophy of aboveground natural internments in that the body may contribute to the well-being of the planet after death. Also, bereavement balls present an opportunity for local communities to pursue creative means of making money while offering a service. As the first lobsters take up residence on the reef, friends and families may take heart that their loved ones are helping to provide a thriving environment for life to grow.
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