Deadliest Catch TV Show - Deadliest Catch Television Show - Yahoo! TV

In this day and age of so-called reality tv shows clogging up the network and cable tv airwaves, there is a tv show that is true reality. The show is called Deadliest Catch and it airs on the Discovery Channel.

If you have never heard of or watched Deadliest Catch the show is a documentary/reality tv show about crab fisherman fishing for red king crab in October and for opilio (snow) crab in the dead of winter in the Bering Sea, an over a million square mile ocean surrounding Russia and Alaska that is known to be one of the most violent and unpredictable waters on the face of the Earth. Camera crews usually follows 6 boats as they are fishing. The boats that are regulars on the show are the Northwestern, the Cornelia Marie, the Maverick, the Time Bandit and the Wizard.

The show started out as a special about Alaskan crab fishermen that aired on the Discovery Channel in 1999. It was produced and narrated by Thom Beers, who produced such documentary/reality shows such as Lobster Wars , Monster Garage , Ice Road Truckers and Ax Men . The special was so well received and was such a ratings hit, that the Discovery Channel asked Beers if he could do a regular documentary series about crab fishermen. The show is narrated by Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe.

Every October, fishing vessels many of them from Washington state, Oregon and Alaska descend on the tiny Aleutian Island town of Dutch Harbor, Alaska for the start of the red king crab season. Federal law states they can only catch and keep male red king crabs that are of a certain length. They have to throw back females, small males and juvenile red king crabs.

After they have catched their quota, these men go back home to be with their famillies for the holidays. There are some women who are crab fisherman. However, most of them are the wives or daughters of the fishing vessel's captain but the majority of the crab fisherman are men.

In January in the dead of winter, these same men go back to Alaska to fish for the smaller opiliio or snow crab which can last anywhere from 6 weeks to almost 3 months. Depending on what ship they're on, the men have to stay out at sea until again they have catched their quota. The only time the fisherman ever see land is when they go to St. Paul Island to offload their catch.

If you think being a crab fisherman is an easy job, think again. True, these men make a lot of money in a short period of time. They can make anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000 and sometimes even higher depending on what boat they're on and how much they catch but that money comes at a high price. What makes this show aptly titled Deadliest Catch is several years ago, OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the U.S. Department of Labor lists a Bering Sea crab fisherman as the most dangerous and deadlest occupation in the U.S. After watching the show, you will see why. There is almost a 100% injury rate because of the work environment they work in and every year an average of one man dies while fishing for crab in the Bering Sea. Most of them died because of hypothermia when they were washed overboard by a wave, the vessel sinks or they get tangled up in the ropes of the pots and they get thrown overboard when the pot goes over the side and they are dragged to the bottom of the ocean and drowned.

These men work on a pitching, rolling ship where they have work around 150 to 200 bulky rectangular crab catching steel trap cages called pots weighing almost a 1000 pounds a piece. The only way they can move those pots around is by a hydralic lift crane. Many times, they work non-stop anywhere from 24 to 48 even 72 hours straight without rest. The only time they catch a break is when they eat or have to go to the bathroom. When they finally catch a break, these men are so dead tired, most of the time, they just go inside and sleep where they drop. Even then, they'll be lucky if they catch 6 hours of good sleep.

If fishing for red king crab in October wasn't bad enough, fishing for opilio crab in the dead of winter is even worse. As if dealing with the same deadly pots, ocean waves towering over 30 to 50 feet high wasn't bad enough, add to that, at many times below freezing tempertures, bone chilling wind and ice caused by the sea spray freezing up on the outside of the ship and you have the makings of a disaster just waiting to happen.

These men go through a lot just so you and I can enjoy eating crab legs at Red Lobster and Joe's Crab Shack. I can assure you that anyone who has been on Survivor will not last 30 minutes on a crab fishing boat. It is nothing but constant work and dangers on a crab fishing boat. Anyone who has come home alive after fishing for crab on the Bering Sea is a true survivor and they should have our utmost respect.

The 5th season of Deadliest Catch will premier tonight on the Discovery Channel. Earlier seasons of the show are now airing on the Discovery Channel but they are on at different times of the day, so check your local cable lsitings on when they air so you can TIVO or DVR the show. It will be worth it, I promise. After you watch just one episode of Deadliest Catch you will never complain about the high price of crab legs ever again.