The most dangerous job in the world

(Map courtesy of this site).

I don't know if people watch this show, but "Deadliest Catch" on Discovery is AMAZING. It's about these men who go hundreds of miles off the coast of the Aleutian Is. in the Bering Sea (see map above-if you don't know where they are, the islands run off the southwest of Alaska) and try to catch Alaskan King Crabs. I watched the season premiere of the show last night, and it was awesome. I learned that the crab fishing industry up there is an $80 million industry, and these guys go out and have the potential to make their year's salary in one week..... but at the risk of dying in the wickedly fierce waters. The show told their stories, and how they make what could be their last phone calls back home to their wives, parents, etc. What a job. They said hundreds of men have died doing this job; they have been thrown overboard in horrible storms, have died from the cold, etc. I just cannot imagine this.

So, the men leave, and there are over 200 boats that are rivaling for the crabs. They have to have approval to fish too-there are weight restrictions so that the boats won't capsize, and the "pots" (the crates they catch the crabs in) weigh around 300 pounds themselves (I think) and so there are restrictions on how many pots you can have too. One guy was interviewed b/c he was the sole survivor of a boat that capsized a while back... he said he had to take the lifejacket off one of his friends and let his body sink to the bottom. Unbelievable.

If you can catch this show, I would highly recommend it. Every Tuesday at 9 on Discovery.

* One more thing: I went to Alaska with my family and 3 other families in Aug. 1994, and I although I didn't go to the islands (but went to Sitka, Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, the Inside Passage, etc.), I can totally see how this water can be so deadly.