Jake Anderson in Peril as Deadliest Catch Season 21 Turns Deadly
Deadliest Catch returns August 1 with what's shaping up to be one of its most dangerous seasons yet.
Discovery Channel's long-running series is back for Season 21, and this time, the fleet is venturing farther west than they've dared in decades — into waters beyond the bounds of rescue.
At the center of it all is Jake Anderson, whose boat, the Titan Explorer, is caught in a Mayday emergency during the premiere. Anderson is seen wearing an oxygen mask in the promo, with radio calls urgently asking for his status as chaos erupts on deck. One clip even shows the crew abandoning ship. Another moment shows a crewmember with a serious head gash, and yet another getting burned. It's clear the stakes this season aren't just financial.
The show moves to a new time slot — Friday nights — with the premiere airing at 8/7c on Discovery.
Season 21 kicks off with a dramatic new push for red king crab near Alaska's Adak Island, a remote location that hasn't been fished this aggressively in over 30 years.
Captain Sig Hansen (Northwestern) and Jonathan Hillstrand (Time Bandit) spearhead the effort after hearing rumors of a massive crab stock near Adak. Their alliance sparks what Discovery is calling a "gold rush-style race" as the fleet battles towering waves and mechanical failures while chasing millions in crab revenue.
As Hansen puts it, "It is unforgiving out here in the West." Hillstrand adds, "One moment it's heaven, the next moment hell."
One of the biggest storylines is the return of Captain Keith Colburn. After collapsing on the Wizard last season, he was airlifted to Anchorage and diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack — a mini-stroke. Many thought that might be the end of his time at sea, but Colburn, now 62, is back on the bridge and ready for another go.
Additional captains confirmed for Season 21:
- Steve "Harley" Davidson (Southern Wind)
- Rick Shelford and Sophia "Bob" Nielsen (Aleutian Lady), with Nielsen continuing her third-generation legacy in the fleet
Between battered boats, emergency calls, and captains pushing past their limits, Deadliest Catch is clearly living up to its name this season. Whether Jake Anderson makes it out unscathed remains to be seen. One thing's for sure — the Bering Sea isn't pulling any punches.
Deadliest Catch Season 21 premieres August 1 at 8/7c on Discovery Channel.