‘Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove’ Promises Plenty Of Drama And Danger

Fans of the popular Discovery hit series Deadliest Catch know just how dangerous it is to fish on the Bering Sea, even in the best weather conditions. Now this new spinoff series will explore the lives of a group of Dungeness crab fisherman and their families. According to The Wrap, Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove is set along one of the last remaining fishing towns that is located along and north of the Oregon coast.

Check out a #DungeonCove sneak peek via @TheWrap! https://t.co/c652XV93a7

— DC: Dungeon Cove (@DungeonCove) August 23, 2016

This area is known to many, especially the locals, as the “Graveyard of the Pacific.” The fishermen often face rapidly changing and harsh weather conditions, distinctly dangerous coastal features, hidden sandbars, and extremely strong and deadly currents that have caused several shipwrecks. Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove will follow several Yaquina Bay fishing vessels when the Dungeness crab season opens.

Captain Mikey Retherford Jr. started out on his father’s boat at a young age. According to Discovery’s Dungeon Cove page, Retherford got his very first taste of fishing at age 6, and by the age of 21 was running his own boat. Fishing is a family affair for Retherford, and he is co-owner of the fishing vessel Winona J along with brother Chris and father, Mike Sr. His younger siblings, Kelsey and Kyle, work as deckhands aboard the family’s other boat the Excalibur, which is run by brother Captain Chris Retherford.

Captain Gary “the Ripper” Ripka has over 35 years fishing experience and is a competitive money-making grinder. Described as old school, Ripka will stop at nothing to fill the tank of his vessel the Western Breeze. Gary would like to start running the operation from land but needs his son, Kenny, to take a more active role. Kenny practically grew up on a fishing boat and on this season of Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove, he will be running Gary’s other fishing vessel, the Redeemer.

Although father and son tend to argue about almost anything, Gary hopes that Kenny will be able to continue on with the family fishing business. A previous rift left father and son not speaking to each other for five long years, and Kenny ended up working on the Excalibur. Eventually, they reconciled, and both of them are now trying to focus more on continuing the family legacy.

Captain Jonny Law is considered a cowboy of the Pacific Ocean and has spent over 30 years fishing. His fishing vessel, the Lady Law, is one of the largest boats in the fleet, and can handle almost any type of weather. A tough captain, Law drives his crew hard to produce and load the boat with crab. Although difficult to work for, he can always find men willing to work for him because they know he is usually the fleet’s top producer.

Thirty-six-year-old Captain Marc Sehlbach is a seasoned fisherman, having grown up fishing with his father. This season on Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove he is at the helm of the Galway Bay after making a deal with boat owner Jimmy Burns. He will be joined by Travis Lofland, both men spent time fishing the Bering Sea as deckhands aboard the Cornelia Marie. Together, they took a shrimp boat and rebuilt it into one of the largest crab boats in the fleet.

Fans of Deadliest Catch may recall that Travis had some close calls during his time on the Bering Sea. On Season 8 of the show, he slipped and fell off the Time Bandit as they were docking. Then last season on the Cornelia Marie, a loose 800-pound crab pot knocked him down. Either one of those incidents could have been fatal, but both times he was able to walk away. Hopefully, his stint on the Galway Bay during this season of Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove will be an accident-free experience.

With millions of dollars at stake, it’s up to each boat on this season of Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove to be the fastest to reach their quota, and the first boat back to the dock to sell their catch. This is a derby-style fishery, and it is extremely competitive. Hard work, experienced crews and captains, and a good fishing vessel is still no guarantee that they will hit it big. Every boat in the fleet hopes to come out on top during the Dungeness derby.

Will you be checking out the new Deadliest Catch spinoff? Leave your comments, thoughts, and opinions below. Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove premieres on Tuesday, September 13 at 9 p.m. ET on the Discovery Channel. On Tuesday, August 30 at 9 p.m. ET, there will be a special sneak-peek look at the new series on Deadliest Catch: The Bait.

[Image via Discovery]