The Miami Underwater Cemetery, The Neptune Society is a “lost city” forty feet below the surface of the sea, complete with stone streets, soaring gates and decaying ruins, marked by ancient-looking columns guarded by carved lions.
An underwater cemetery and artificial reef, named after the sunken city and created by Florida artist Kim Brandell and opened in 2007 about three miles off the coast of Key Biscayne near Miami.
Divers can visit the submerged necropolis to view the memorials cast from cremated bones and pay their respects. Bert Kilbride, a shipwreck diver and former Guinness World Record holder for the oldest living scuba diver, is buried here at the top of one of the entry columns leading to the Reef.
Structures in the 16-acre underwater cemetery are primarily made of concrete, with bronze and steel details. The city of the dead that resulted from its deliberate design to create a marine environment for fish and coral is both beautiful and terrifying, depending on your point of view.
Get the Facts Before You Go
Whether you’re diving to pay your respects to loved ones who have passed away or to simply explore the sculptures and marine life, you’re welcome at the memorial reef. You can either bring your own vessel or arrange for transportation on one of the many dive boats that make frequent trips to the reef.
Get in touch with any of the dive shops in Miami that are recommended on the reef’s official website. Please treat the aquatic life and the cremation ashes with care throughout your stay.
In the United States, cremation is increasingly being chosen by families and individuals. There should be a lovely memorial site set up after cremation for family and future generations to visit and reflect.
HOW IT WORKS
Cremated remains are mixed with a natural concrete mixture, then placed in a mold and fastened within one of the artistic structures in the Reef; a copper plaque bearing the inscription is then attached.
One of the rare cemeteries that allows the interment of pet and human remains together, this cemetery is located in international waters.
Pick Your Reef Installation Bundle
Depending on the feature’s kind and where you want it to be located, its placement inside the Reef will be different. The mixing process and/or the deployment can be witnessed by loved ones if desired. After cremation, you still have the option of having a loved one commemorated in the Reef.
A HOMAGE TO LIFE BELOW THE SEA
Neptune Memorial ReefTM, located 3.25 miles east of Key Biscayne in Miami, Florida (GPS: N25o 42.036′, W80o 05.409′), is the largest man-made reef ever created and, once finished, will have transformed more than 16 acres of bare ocean floor.
According to many Environmental Protection Agencies, the Neptune Memorial ReefTM project is ecologically safe and the Green Burial Council has validated it as environmentally friendly.
Neptune Reef is a 40-foot-deep artistic interpretation of the mythical Lost City of Atlantis. These manmade reefs have generated the perfect setting for a “Green Burial,” since they provide a hospitable environment for coral and other marine life to flourish.
Marine life around the Reef has increased from zero to thousands in just two years, according to a recent research done by the Department of Environmental Resource Management.
A NEW CUSTOM OF GOING TO SEE FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Numerous families rent boats or bring their own to the spot to go snorkeling or just to visit. Indeed, some members of the family go on to
scuba divers, allowing them to check in on loved ones and track the Reef’s development during their visits.
In order to keep in touch with loved ones, many of our locals dive the Reef frequently.
The Neptune Memorial ReefTM not only serves as a lasting tribute to individuals who were passionate about the ocean, but it also draws recreational scuba divers, marine biologists, students, researchers, and ecologists from all over the world. Visitors can enjoy the Reef without paying a dime.