For the last 20 years, Deadliest Catch star Sig Hansen has faced rogue waves, brutal storms, and the kind of icy waters that swallowed the Titanic whole. Now, after another harrowing season on the Bering Sea filming the Discovery Channel series, Hansen says he’s not the same guy. As someone who was once married to the sea, the captain is finally thinking about stepping away from the helm.
“I think I’ve got a few more years left in me,” Hansen recently told People. He noted his thoughts of retirement are becoming harder to ignore. “Part of it is just, you think about your own mortality—and I’m fearful.”
The latest season of Deadliest Catch opens with a frightening moment: a fellow captain’s vessel springs a leak, forcing his crew to abandon ship in the middle of nowhere.
“When we heard they were in the water… that changes everything,” Hansen told the outlet. “You do what you can to save them.”
The veteran fisherman’s recent brush with potential tragedy sparked his mindset shift. At least eight people from Deadliest Catch have died over the years, so the fear is totally warranted. “I don’t have the same mentality I did before,” he admitted. “I’ve been there, done that. Now I want to spend more time with my family, my wife.”
The 59-year-old captain known for his dry sense of humor, grit, and no-nonsense leadership style has had a change of heart. He has four grandkids he wants to be around and watch grow up.
“I used to laugh at old-timers talking about their grandkids,” he quipped. “Now I’m one of those guys.”
Hansen also joked about fishermen being “professional liar[s],” so his retirement isn’t a sure thing just yet. But for a guy who’s job is to stare death in the face regularly, there’s a new level of self-awareness beneath the brawn.
“I think about it all the time,” he says. “The water doesn’t care who you are.” Hansen’s official retirement plans remain to be seen.
