Season 12

18 episodes · 29th March 2016

The fearless captains of the Bering Sea are back. This year they must lean on their brethren to survive. But just how far will they push their crabbing brotherhood to the edge?

Episodes

Episode 1

Carpe Diem

An adrenaline-packed new season brings a new face: 23 year-old Sean Dwyer –fighting for the legacy of the father he lost too soon. The Time Bandit squares off with the law, Captain Keith’s life spirals, and Sig torments his former protégé.

Episode 2

First Timers

24-year-old Captain Sean Dwyer & crew prepare for their first crab season aboard the Brenna A. Jake Anderson fears he made a big mistake. Wild Bill handles a challenging deckhand. Keith gets support from an unlikely counselor, Johnathan Hillstrand.

Episode 3

No Good Deed...

Wild Bill risks his biggest lead in history to bail Josh Harris out of trouble. Sean Dwyer finds out if he has got what it takes. Veteran skipper Johnathan Hillstrand leans on his crew and a little tip from a friend to turn his season around.

Episode 4

Swedish Twins

Josh Harris is forced to take over the Cornelia Marie. Sean Dwyer gets his first taste of the angry sea. Greenhorns on the Cape Caution are slapped to attention. Weather, mechanical failures and inexperienced crews complicate matters across the fleet.

Episode 5

Million-Dollar-Bet

Jake Anderson tries a dangerous short cut with only one working engine on the boat. Casey and Josh perform surgery at sea. Edgar Hansen captains the ship while his son Eric works as greenhorn. Captain Keith turns his life around.

Episode 6

100% Injury Rate

The season’s worst storm yet slams the fleet. Freshmen Skipper Sean Dwyer must choose between crab & a childhood friend. Wild Bill questions his son's status as a crabber & man. As injuries stack up one deckhand reveals a painful secret in his pants.

Episode 7

Cold War

Captain Edgar Hansen is losing control of the Northwestern with a mutiny on his hands. A couple of drunk deckhands put the Saga at risk. Jonathan Hillstrand bets it all for a hopefully big end to his season and Freddie Maugatai takes honoring his skipper to the extreme.

Episode 8

Winter Is Coming

In the final days of the fall season, a massive arctic storm blasts the fleet with hurricane-force winds and monster seas. Every captain is put to the test when they must decide how much their boats and crews can handle.

Episode 9

Into the Gale

The winter crab season is here and brings with it this year's biggest storm. Every captain must decide to risk it all and head out into the storm or stay back tied to the dock losing money. However carefully they choose the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

Episode 10

Proving Grounds

During the final throes of the season's first arctic storm, the captains and crews need to battle for survival. While other captains fight the weather, rookie skipper Sean Dwyer decides to wait out the storm, making his first trip of the year under blue skies.

Episode 11

Raw Deal

Keith and Johnathan test the boundaries of partner fishing; Captain Jake struggles with a problematic deckhand; Zack must step up when Wild Bill gives him a shot at the helm

Episode 12

Settling the Score

Sean Dwyer is forced to bring down his dad's law on a deckhand. Josh faces off against Casey, Sig's crew grind through a haul, and Keith works with his new greenhorns.

Episode 13

Fire at Sea (1)

Alone on the water, days from land, the Northwestern catches fire. On the Time Bandit a family emergency forces Johnathan to make a desperate move. Josh Harris' judgment is tested.

Episode 14

Fire at Sea (2)

Captain Sig and crew fight for their lives against an engine room fire 250 miles from land. Faulty hydraulics and a flying 800-pound pot make for a deadly situation on the deck of the Saga.

Episode 15

Blood & Guts

Blood is shed on the Time Bandit, a fight breaks out on the Wizard, the Northwestern grapples with a burnt-out boat, and a lost bet leads to cod guts on the Brenna A.

Episode 16

Life or Death Decision

A rogue wave forces Zack to make a life or death decision. Against his co captain and crew, Josh bets on a Bering Sea myth. Giant seas roll Sean Dwyer. Sig turns to daughter Mandy for help.

Episode 17

The Widowmaker (1)

Intense weather and more damage to his battered boat take a toll on Sig's heart. The USCG attempts a dangerous medevac. Bill struggles with a water leak. Jake recruits an old friend.

Episode 18

The Widowmaker (2)

Sig fights to survive a massive heart attack. Bill learns a dark secret about his son. Josh fights to prove himself. Jake learns a valuable lesson. Johnathan appeals to the gods.