Returning to the Waves: Former Deadliest Catch Stars Come Back to Face New Challenges
Fans on Reddit have been asking questions about the ‘retired’ Deadliest Catch crew, who seem to reappear next season. Here is a round-up of some of the ‘departed’ cast, with fan suggestions on why these crabbers return to the watery depths.
Deadliest Catch is gripping reality TV that follows crab fisherman as they navigate the perils of the Bering Sea. While their ‘catch’ might not be deadly, the process of obtaining these crabs, often at night and in tide-ripping waters, can be. Being taken out by walls of wave and slipping into freezing waters these crabbers really have to be fit and on their toes. As a land-dweller, I can only imagine this job gets harder the older you get. So what age do these Discovery Channel fisherman retire? And can you ever really retire when you feel the call of the ocean in your bones?
Jonathan Hillstrand
Hillstrand has been a prominent figure in Deadliest catch since season 2. Following a 37-year career at sea, Hillstrand decided to retire at the end of season 13.
The 62-year-old wasn’t through being an adrenaline junky though, trading his love of fast boats for a love of fast cars. “I’m used to driving a 113-foot boat at 8 knots,” the crabber said in the season finale as he stepped into an auto racing car. “Now I’m in a 16-foot car doing 118 in 600 feet. Making up for lost time.”
Going out with a record-breaking bang, catching the biggest haul for Time Bandit in 2017, he seemed to have made his peace with the sea.
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It didn’t take long for the waves to call out to him, just a few years later Hillstrand was back on our screens in the season 16 cast.
According to the sea-dog himself he returned to retain his fishing quota, or captain’s share: how much you are legally allowed to catch determined by the Alaska state government. “Captain’s shares, they’ll take ’em from you if you don’t use them every couple of years, so I had to come back out,” Hillstrand explained.
Additionally, rumors of sky-high prices from an increased demand for seafood added to the lure. “Russia changed their marketing strategy,” said Jake Anderson in season 16. “That means there’s gonna be skyrocketing prices.”
Lenny Lekanoff
Lenny has deep roots in the island Unalaska with his family spanning the location. Island life lead to early opportunities to fish for Lenny and he has done for most of his life.
As a professional crabber her joined the Wizard crew, and the show, when his previous vessel retired from fishery under a federal buyback program.
Lekanoff was in charge of all the maintenance on the Ship’s system, like the engine room, alongside being a full-time deckhand. In love with his captains, Monte and Keith’s, laid-back commanding he seemed to be a fixed feature on-board.
Lenny announced his retirement in season 10, but was seen in the next season returning to help for a ‘single-trip’. That quickly escalated to him returning full-time to the deck.
Lekanoff showed his loyalty by not asking any questions when his captain needed him and cutting his retirement short for the needs of the ship. Lenny even laughed when getting knocked off his feet during the first trip back on the waves.
Eddie Uwekoolani
Eddie works aboard the Time Bandit as deckhand for Andy Hillstrand. Also claiming retirement in season 10 to leave his legacy to his son ‘little Eddie’.
This seemed pretty official with an announcement from the captain himself on X. “Congrats to Eddie Uwekoolani on retiring from crabbing. He’ll remain w/ us as captain for tendering.” The captain shared.
For those of you without your sea-legs, tendering is when a boat serves as a taxi for boats that are fishing, taking their fish to the processor.
Apparently playing taxi wasn’t enough for this seafarer though. Announcing his retirement in 2012, he was back aboard the ship full-time in 2013. Continuing to make appearances in the shows cast list until season 18 in 2022.
So much for an early retirement!
Fans suggest reasons for why there are so many returning crew
So, what is it that has so many of these deckhands declaring their departure and then returning on-board? Fans on Reddit have some answers.
“I really think they just want some extended time off, so they just say retirement because most of them are at the age they could retire.” Suggests one fan.
Some suggest it’s the thrill of the open ocean that gets in your blood. “For the last 10 years I have told myself that I was going to retire from working as a deckhand in Alaska. Working up there gets in your blood. There is just something special about working on the water for months does to you. The salty air. The 180 degrees of sight, the 19 hours of daylight it just makes you feel good, and healthy plus the money. I just find myself returning every year.”
While many say it’s simply down to being bad at money management. “Deckhands are notoriously bad with money. That’s why they stay deckhands and don’t become captains. Source: I was a deckhand for 13 years.”
Another thinks it’s a combination of the two. “They either need the money or have no real interests & hobbies outside of work so they get bored not doing anything while retired. The former is understandable, the latter is just sad.”
Either way, fans are always happy to see their favorite crabbers back on their screens.
