One of ’Deadliest Catch’s Legendary Captains Is Missing Season 21 for a Crucial Reason
Deadliest Catch has claimed lives before, but this skipper is not going to let it claim his. Bill Wichrowski has been a memorable face on Deadliest Catch for about a decade, but he is notably missing from Season 21. Wichrowski is taking a break from crab fishing on Deadliest Catch for medical reasons, although there is no telling when he will be back on our screens.
Deadliest Catch documents the real-life struggles of Alaskan King Crab fishermen. The Discovery Channel reality show set out to expose just how dangerous the job was and Wichrowski was one of the more interesting characters. So his disappearance from Season 21 was noticed.
Bill Wichrowski Is Taking His Health Seriously
This far into Season 21, it is clear that Wichrowski is taking the season off as he is focusing on his recovery from cancer. Thankfully, Wichrowski seems to be in remission, according to his Facebook post, which read, “I seem to be cancer free now. I have always felt 10-15 years younger than my age [with] the job I have and being around crew 1/2 my age. Feels like the clock has caught up. Maybe small price to pay. Thanks for concern and best wishes. If you have symptoms, get checked.” Despite this, Wichrowski is still taking a step back for the time being while he recovers further.
Wichrowski was first diagnosed with prostate cancer at the end of Season 19 and his first thought after receiving his diagnosis was concern about his job. Wichrowski continued crab fishing anyway and explained on the show that he didn’t want to “just shut down and crawl into a shell,” like many other people. Despite wanting to keep working in light of his diagnosis, Wichrowski’s health ultimately impeded his ability to do the job, for good reason. During season 20, after a crucial surgery was rescheduled, Wichrowski ended the crabbing season early. Wichrowski did not let the cancer stop him from working, but still made sure that he was prioritizing his health.
Bill Wichrowski Hoped He Could Help Others By Sharing His Journey on ‘Deadliest Catch’
One of the reasons Wichrowski never stopped working before Season 21 was because of how vital spreading awareness was to him. The Summer Bay skipper may not have appeared in every episode, but he aimed to raise awareness about the illness, hoping that viewers might get checked early. He said, “If I can help save one or two people on this planet, that’s a good thing.” Wichrowski brought attention to prostate cancer by allowing his treatment process to be filmed and explored throughout Season 20.
What Can We Expect From Season 21 of ‘Deadliest Catch’?
There is no indication if or when Wichrowski will return to Deadliest Catch. Season 21 follows the captains through new and even more perilous waters. The stakes are even higher with reports of monster king crabs returning to Adak Island. Wichrowski is not the only fisherman facing medical issues, either. Recently, Sig Hansen opened up about struggling with mortality after a heart attack. Although Wichrowski is taking his time recovering, the other Alaskan King Crab fishermen on Deadliest Catch are facing higher stakes than ever in Season 21.
In the high-stakes world of crab fishing, a fisherman should always take their health seriously, which is precisely what Wichrowski is doing. After showing his battle with cancer to the Deadliest Catch audience last season, Wichrowski is taking a much-deserved break. Unfortunately, there are no plans for Wichrowski to return, so fans will have to be content with reruns.
Deadliest Catch airs on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT and is available to stream the next day on Hulu and HBO Max.