Returning: Deadliest Catch

Long-running factual series Deadliest Catch returns to Discovery Channel in May.

Season 14, which features a supermoon, a tsunami and some of the worst winter storms on record, launches with the 200th episode. This debuted in the US last month.

This year the captains of the Bering Sea are setting out for what will prove to be the roughest, toughest and most competitive crab season ever, as they put everything on the line to see who can claim the biggest fortune. But Mother Nature’s wrath is acting out in unusual ways and injuries and Coast Guard rescues are stacking up at alarming rates. Before the season ends, a crew member is thrown overboard setting off a harrowing search. The risks are high, but the rewards can be even higher. No one ever said that the American dream was easy.

After several lean seasons, the Alaskan crab fleet are back to claim their part of a massive USD$120 million bounty. With the lucrative Bairdi fishery opening back up, adding millions of kilos to the pot, there is a renewed sense of optimism. Big money is on the line, the fishing is more competitive than ever and the captains are going to battle to catch as much of the high-value crab as they can. But as always, the biggest battle they face is against a turbulent Bering Sea in the stormy dead of winter.

The first episode opens with powerful scenes: before they set sail, the captains pay tribute to their friends and fellow fishermen of the F/V Destination. Last year the vessel was lost at sea and the tragedy had a huge impact on this tight-knit community of fisherman and the industry. The poignant ceremony at sea is just another reminder of how dangerous their work is.

Twelve metre waves, hurricane force winds, heavy-machinery and massive icebergs are just a few reasons that no season of Deadliest Catch is ever the same. Making matters even worse, the sea is terrifyingly heightened by a supermoon, a tsunami and some of the worst winter storms on record, meaning the crews have their work cut out for them like never before.

Before the milestone 200th episode to launch Season 14, revisit last year’s action with the Deadliest Catch Recap Special starting at 5:30pm on Wednesday 23 May.

Wednesdays from 23 May at 7:30pm on Discovery.