At a glance, it seems like the kind of crab fishing featured on “Deadliest Catch” would be a weird thing to base a reality show around. But the title of the show is no joke: Crab fishing is almost unthinkably dangerous, and it’s not just because of the unpredictable weather, remote locations, and long, grueling days. It’s no wonder that fans have gotten invested in the lives of those on board, and that’s definitely true for longtime show staple and fan favorite, the Northwestern. But for all viewers get to know about them on the screen, what about behind the scenes? How different are their real lives?
The Northwestern has long been under the guiding hand of the Hansen family, headed by the tough-as-nails Captain Sig Hansen. They’ve been a fishing family for generations, and these days, crab seasons depend not only on the location, but the type of crab that’s being fished. When the crew of the Northwestern heads out into the Bering Sea for opilio or a type of king crab, they’re going to be heading out generally between November and early the following spring. That means an enviable amount of time off, so what else are they doing today? When the cameras stop rolling and the danger passes — until next time, that is — just what does the crew fill their days with?
And what about the crew members that aren’t on the show anymore? We tried to track down some fan favorites from past seasons as well as current crewmembers, and honestly? There’s some surprising stuff here.
SIG HANSEN
Northwestern Captain Sig Hansen seems to have found his niche in the world as not just a Bering Sea captain, but a television consultant as well. He has a slew of credits to his name, including other “Deadliest Catch” properties like “Deadliest Catch: Unfinished Business,” and “Deadliest Catch: Battle Scars,” which he’s listed as a consultant on. In 2022 alone, he was involved with seven productions that included “Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns,” which was unsurprisingly about his family. But what else has he been up to?
In addition to making appearances at various panels and events, Hansen kicked off 2024 by being named the recipient of the Norwegian Commercial Club’s Neptune Award, which recognizes those who have made invaluable contributions to the fishing industry. On his Facebook page, Hansen wrote, “Receiving the King Neptune Award is not just a personal honor, but … a moment to reflect on the journey, the storms weathered, and the successes achieved.” Also good? In 2022, he reflected on how much he absolutely loved being a grandfather, saying (via Facebook) “Being a grandfather has changed my life.”
It hasn’t been all good news, though. In 2019, he spoke with Entertainment Weekly about having a second heart attack that was triggered by an allergic reaction to antibiotics he was given for a sinus infection, which was a serious reality check for him. The same year, the family found themselves dealing with another health crisis — his wife’s cancer diagnosis. (He’s since said that they were fortunate she was diagnosed early.)
EDGAR HANSEN
Edgar Hansen was a Northwestern crew staple for a long time, appearing in more than 160 episodes of the original show, as well as some spin-offs. In 2020, he appeared in a single episode of “This Old House: Trade School,” and then it’s been radio silence from him. Why, and what’s he been up to?
It seems as though things hit something of a turning point for him in 2018, which is the last time he updated his Northwestern-associated Facebook page. It’s also when The Seattle Times reported that he had entered a plea deal in the matter of the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, and that he had served a suspended jail sentence. Unsurprisingly, it coincided with his disappearance from social media and from the show, but it seems that he’s still actually on the Northwestern — just not in front of the cameras. He’s occasionally seen in social media posts made by other crew members, like a 2018 Instagram video posted by Mandy Hansen at the start of the season — and after his court case made headlines.
In the years since, fans on Reddit have pointed out seeing him in the background on some episodes, which makes sense. Discovery may have removed him from the show, but they don’t own the boats: It’s still a family business, and it seems as though he’s just staying on the down-low while continuing to do what the show made him famous for.
NICK MAVAR
Nick Mavar was a Northwestern fan favorite who was in nearly 100 episodes of the show before he disappeared. Unfortunately for Mavar, the end of his run on the show was wrapped up in an event that would become one of the biggest scandals to ever hit the Discovery Channel, and led to a major lawsuit filed against his employers.
The lawsuit makes for grim reading, and it starts with a 2022 filing by Mavar. He claimed that for a period of about 2 weeks in December 2020 to January 2021, he had been in serious pain while on the Northwestern. His lawsuit claimed Mavar was “seriously and permanently injured when following a time period of repeated reports of pain and discomfort, as well as an examination aboard the vessel by [Northwestern’s] agent, he suffered a ruptured appendix while in the service of the vessel.” In 2023, that was compounded by more lawsuits the Northwestern filed against the companies contracted to provide medical care to the crews, and it’s safe to say that something that complicated isn’t going to be sorted out quickly.
Meanwhile, curious Redditors have tried to determine what else is going on with him. While his website is now defunct, some say they’ve seen him spending his summers in Bristol Bay as the captain of his own salmon boat, the Miss Colleen. Mavar has previously posted photos with the boat, so it’s not incredibly far-fetched.
JAKE ANDERSON
Jake Anderson has been a fan favorite for a long time. He explained to PC Principle, “What a lot of people didn’t know about me before I was on the boat was that I was actually living on the street. I got a job with Sig [Hansen] and I just started making these dreams and goals. With my story, you watched this kid grow from being homeless with a dream to someone with goals who kept achieving …” And that’s the kind of positive television the world needs more of, especially considering that Anderson also dealt with some devastating tragedies while on the show — including the death of his sister and disappearance of his father.
Anderson, of course, took over as the captain of the Saga in 2015. He’s stayed close with his crew from the Northwestern, though, and was a consultant on Hansen’s “Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns.” He’s also been busy consulting on the other “Deadliest Catch” spinoff movies, and he regularly shares updates about his personal life to his Facebook page.
Recent posts are heartwarming stuff: He’s posted birthday wishes to his wife, video reels of him with his wife and children, and shared insights into their travels, getaways, and everyday ordinariness. In a response to one post from October 19, 2023, he confirmed that he was currently in the middle of filming, and added, “Can’t thank all of you enough Your positive support it helps significantly to keep me focused to push forward and achieve the American Dream.”
MATT BRADLEY
On March 6, 2024, former Northwestern crew member Matt Bradley posted a photo to his Facebook page with the caption, “Happy birthday to me … 52. Who would ever thought I’d make it this far …” That wasn’t just a comment on the dangerous nature of his job, and in 2017, he sat down for a candid interview with Windward Way Recovery advocate Jeremy Broderick (via HuffPost).
Bradley shared that although he had been on the Northwestern for more than 10 years, the good money he made was a curse rather than a blessing. On the boat was a drug-free zone, but once he was off, he was caught in a vicious cycle: “My logic … was that the boat was the most boring place in the world to be loaded. That kept me sober for five or six months, and then I’d get back to the city and think, maybe I can try the game again for a couple weeks.” So, he went into rehab, and started volunteering to help others with addiction issues.
By 2020, Bradley was back — this time, on the Saga. It was explained on a “Deadliest Catch” World Facebook page that Bradley had initially taken some time off to help his wife run her business, and by the time he decided to go back out, spots on the Northwestern were full. Fellow Northwestern alumni Jake Anderson brought him on board, and Bradley was back on the water.
NORMAN HANSEN
Unfortunately, this is one “Deadliest Catch” crew member that seems to have dropped off the radar in a big way. The Northwestern is, of course, a family business, and in 2019, “Deadliest Catch” viewers saw a terrifying episode. Captain Sig Hansen was summoned from the wheelhouse to shouts of alarm: His brother, Norman, had fallen, and was having a seizure. The engineer was reported to be breathing but unconscious and bleeding before being stabilized and taken to a local hospital. What happened next?
There are a few clues, but not too much information about what he’s been up to. Norman posted a photo to his Facebook page after the incident, showing him playing with a dog and a pile of kittens. He’s only posted a few photos since, including one with a young foal, and another with a black dog. The last update was in 2021, and although he’s been living life on the quiet side, he was also credited with being in a single episode of “Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns.”
MANDY HANSEN
Mandy Hansen has been appearing on the Northwestern and “Deadliest Catch” for a surprisingly long time: By 2018, she’d already put in enough work that she was training to be captain, and occasionally stepping into the role as a relief captain. In 2021, Sig Hansen spoke with Nicki Swift about their plans, and confirmed that the way things were going to fall was that she was going to be the next captain. That comes as no surprise to viewers, but what about when the cameras stop?
In 2019, Mandy shared a heartbreaking Instagram post. Along with a photo of a baby’s onesie and some boots, she wrote, “Though I lost you my previous season onboard, I still think about you every day. Words cannot describe the hurt and the love I still feel for you. May we meet one day little one. Momma’s got you in her heart forever and ever.”
Fast forward to 2021, and she had some happy news to share with People: The first photos of her daughter, the aptly-named Sailor. “Bringing a child into this world is the most incredible feeling. Every way to think changes the moment you hold your baby and you instantly know nothing is more important than protecting their life.” Since then, she regularly shares updates and photos to her Facebook page, including their trips to Norway. Mandy, it seems, is keeping just as in-touch with the family’s heritage as her father.
