Does The Deadliest Catch Camera Crew Ever Lend A Hand In The Daily Chores?

Over the years, fans of Discovery's "Deadliest Catch" have come to know many of the brave fishermen who not only risk their lives on the treacherous Bering Sea but also expose their personal stories to TV viewers at home. The real-life captains of these vessels have become main characters in an ongoing real-life drama that somehow manages to organically manifest different storylines every season. But with all the focus on the people on-screen, little to no attention gets directed towards those standing behind the camera.

Just like the fishermen risking their lives day in and day out, hauling delicious ocean life from the sea, the camera crew for "Deadliest Catch" endures the same level of risk. These camera operators aren't able to clock out at the end of the day to go home. They have to eat, sleep, and work in the same condensed living space as the deckhands themselves. They sometimes (yet, rarely) find themselves within the show's drama, like when captain Keith Colburn physically attacked cameraman Brad Carper on a Season 7 episode. According to Captain Sig Hansen, having the crew on board is an added layer of stress. He told The Fishing Website, "It is a hassle having the camera crews on board — it's not easy."

So, with the camera crew on level playing ground with the fisherman, when it comes to safety risks (and the occasional altercation), do they take on similar everyday living responsibilities? Meaning, besides handling the cameras and helping shape interesting storylines, do these Discovery employees also pitch in with the less exciting boat work? Do they help with chores, such as cooking and cleaning, just as the deckhands do?

With almost two decades of filming, there have been enough captains and deckhands on the show to put together a "Deadliest Catch" trading-card set. But the show's brave camera crew, despite risking their lives like everyone else on the vessel, find themselves with zero screen time. Still, these essential workers spend the entire trip out on the sea with the rest of the crew, living together in the same small space. Despite that bond, these elite camera operators apparently draw the line when it comes to helping with basic chores around the boat.

Just like any common areas of tight living quarters, it's necessary for every inhabitant to pitch in, keeping the space, well, livable. Cooking, cleaning, and all the things usually divvied up between roommates, still come into play in the middle of the Bering Sea. In an interview with Dockwalk, Captain Andy Hillstrand reveals the main excuse the camera crew uses to avoid these responsibilities. When asked if they pitch in, Hillstrand responded, "Not really, they try to keep a hands distance so they could catch us acting normal."

Well, camera operators have a job to do, which in a show like this involves capturing as much footage as possible. And what better excuse not to help with the chores, than to claim that filming this uneventful work is essential to the "Deadliest Catch" story arc?  Makes sense, right? What if a deckhand accidentally drops a pot of boiling water on their foot? What if they slip while scrubbing the toilet? These would be golden moments to capture with the camera. And moments like those are what keep the series going. Well, that's what the camera crew would probably want you to believe, anyways.