They call it the Deadliest Catch for a reason. Fishermen often brave the elements and severe storms to fish in some of the roughest waters around.
Speaking with Fox News, Deadliest Catch star Sig Hansen said the real challenge each season is coming back home alive. The veteran captain detailed several close calls he's had throughout his career.
"I mean, there's always a challenge. The challenge is to succeed, right?" Hansen said. "There are life-threatening situations - been in a few of those. I think the biggest challenge is always the weather. That's always a big one and keeping your guys motivated, that's always a big challenge."
The captain continued, "You know, and finding crab. It'll happen, it just takes time, but it'll happen. Especially if you're good and you know what you're doing."
Hansen said there were points where he thought there was no return. There were also times were he watched other fishing vessels go under the sea.
"We've had events where the boat was icing down to the point where I thought there was no return. We've had struggles with mechanical issues where, you know, we've had, like, tanks where our crab tanks either fill with water when they're not supposed to, and that creates instability on the boat. Things of that nature," Hansen said.
Sig Hansen On Longevity Of 'Deadliest Catch'
There's been many challenges and there were challenges where I've seen boats literally go down. You know, eight miles away from me, and there's nothing I can do about it," he continued. "You watch people and friends that you know, and you're literally in the fog. They're right over there and there's nothing I can do about it, and they're gone.
So what keeps Hansen going back every year? Well, it's the thrill of it all, and Hansen also explained what kept the Deadliest Catch on the air all these years later. It comes down to both work ethic and also the cinematography.
"Number one, It's blue collar and there's a work ethic and I think people respect that. I think the show's successful because, through time, the photography's better, the cameras are better, the people that record what we do are better, and I think that it shows," Hansen said. "My wife and I watch what they film, and she just can't believe it. She's like, 'Oh my God, I feel like I'm in it.'"
He continued, "Twenty years ago, that was not the case. So, I think it brings you closer; it brings you into our living room, and I think it's successful because it's multi-generational. Grandma, grandpa watches, grandson, granddaughter. It's just multi-generational, and I've said it before: This was not meant to be a family program. We do have foul language. We do horrible things that should not be done, and families watch it together. It ain't a family program, but that's what it turned out to be."
