Captain James Sodergren at the helm of M/V Panda, a burial-at-sea vessel in Southern California. Captain James is a native of Dana Point and still lives in the beautiful city with his daughter. He began operations of burials at sea in 2005 and continues to assist families in honoring their loved ones.
James has a sense of community pride. He volunteers in the community independently and through various local outreach programs. Captain James loves getting kids off the video games and out on the water reminding them of the wonders of the ocean that is our backyard. Captain James loves traveling, camping, and surfing!
When Captain James was 22 years old he signed a one-year contract with Clipper Cruise Line, this was the beginning of his boating career. His maiden voyage with Clipper was through the Panama Canal into the Caribbean where he spent 2 years operating as a deckhand.
Captain James obtained his 100-ton USCG license while he was working in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Captain James has worked as a firefighter for 29 Palms and also worked as a lifeguard in south orange county. He is a licensed EMT and CPR certified. James is recently earned his BA at Cal State University of Fullerton.