The Real Dutch

February 05, 2008

All the boats have left the docks with captains and crew aboard, in the hunt for their biggest pots yet. But who’s left behind? What happens in Dutch Harbor when the crab boats are away? Well, it seems the Unalaskans come out to play as our digital media team uncovered during their recent trip. It was their first time traveling to Dutch, and the people and the weather left quite an impression. Get some insights on this wild Alaskan outpost from Will Johnson, digital media podcast host, and Vanessa Serrao, digital media producer and editor. In March they will be sharing more behind-the-scenes insights in weekly, hosted Deadliest Catch video podcasts called The Real Dutch.

Vanessa writes:
What I never realized before this project is that Dutch Harbor is part of the much larger community of Unalaska, Alaska.  Unalaska is a community with a rich cultural history.  Many of its inhabitants are Aleuts, ancestors of some of the original native settlers.  In spite of the way it sounds, the name Unalaska doesn’t mean “not Alaska.”  Instead, it is derived from the Unangan word “Ounalashka,” which means “near the peninsula.”  I’m guessing this refers to the fact that the island is pretty far out along the Aleutian island chain.  The island was also attacked by Japan during World War II, the only other attack on U.S. soil besides Pearl Harbor.  Driving around the island, you’ll still see many of the old WWII barracks.  Now, people come from as far away as East Africa and the Philippines to work in the island's fishing industry.  When I visited, I found an incredibly diverse and hardworking group of people who seem to have a lot of fun, whether they’re fishing in the bay or jamming at the local bar. 

Will writes:
We just got back last week from shooting video of life in Dutch Harbor and Unalaska.  Our goal is to bring viewers inside the town and let them experience what it's really like  -- up close and personal.  We talk to bartenders, musicians, crabbers, fish processors, you name it.  This is a town that has a population of around 4,000 people, but during fishing season it explodes to more than 10,000 people.  And they come from all over the world to strike it rich in the fishing business.

What Deadliest Catch viewers might not know is how hard it can be to get to Dutch Harbor.  The weather and the flight route into the airport make it one of the toughest places to fly into in Alaska, and you can get stranded for days trying to fly in or out.  This can be especially tough on boat captains who are waiting for their crews to fly in from far-flung locations, but everyone in the business expects delays and it's the cost of doing in business in the Bering Sea.    

Anyone trying to fly into Dutch will go through Anchorage.  From Anchorage, 30-person PenAir planes fly west to Dutch Harbor.  But it's not that easy.  Going against the wind, planes stop for gas at airports along the way, in places like King Salmon and Cold Bay.  Speaking from experience, Cold Bay is not a place you want to get stuck.  There's really not much there other than a small airport and a room for passengers to wait for their flights.  I think there's a store, but it was closed during our stay.

Cold Bay is 45 minutes from Dutch Harbor, and planes will land there and wait for the weather to clear in Dutch.  As soon as they get the go-ahead, they'll go on to Dutch Harbor but the weather can get ugly again and then you have to turn around and head back to Anchorage.  That's a few more hours east.  Then, you have to try to re-book for the next day or fly stand-by and hope for better weather.  But with so many people from all over the world heading into Dutch, the flights are packed and you might be spending a few days in the airport.

So, you finally make it to Dutch.  Hopefully the wind is not blowing snow sideways.  It's incredible how fast conditions can deteriorate even on land.  The sun might come out and you'll catch a peak of distant mountains along the Aleutian chain, but then it's back to wind, snow, sleet and rain in a matter of minutes. 

So, for a greenhorn and even experienced crabbers, it can be an adventure just getting to Dutch Harbor.  And it's only the beginning.

Photos: Jenny Lim/DCL

Comments

[Cody C.]

It is about time they will show what life is like in Dutch Harbor. I cant wait for season 4. GO DEADLIEST CATCH!!! GO DUTCH HARBOR!!!

[NW Limited]

Awesome news!

[woasisss]

Wow! Just what we been wantin to hear....more info on the rich culture and history!Sounds like a great season with more info then we can shake a stick at! Can't wait!Thanks for broadening your horizons Disc DC!Be safe to all our crews, both boat and camera crews! Discovery and its peeps are just as much part of my family as the boat crews are!Hurry up April!

[Lhiiiz]

It's great to get some info on the area of Unalaska. I'd love to see more of what it's like up there on the show...I guess we just need more episodes! ;)

[Alyssa]

Having lived here and performed here for more than a decade, it's nice to see a little bit of the Real Dutch! We have known the Captain's and crew's for years, they are friends and "real people", but there is a big support family left behind that harbor a cast of characters in and among themselves. This should add some depth to the story , which is always good,,,,

[VICKI CONIGLIARO]

LOVE,LOVE,LOVE,,,DEADLIEST CATCH,,DISCOVERY CHANNEL IS THE BEST,,,CANNOT WAIT FOR ALL THE GUYS TO BE BACK ON,,,GREAT SHOW!!!!

[Geoff McPherson]

My favorite part of Dutch is watching the people on the plane flight out; the "Willawahs" ( wind shear from Bering Sea weather meeting Gulf of Alaska weather) knock the daylights out of the planes. The front half of the 727s are cargo. The back half is people. As the plane is getting HAMMERED AROUND by the wind, the "land-lubbers" are white knuckling the seat in front of them, white as ghosts,while the fishermen are drooling out the corners of their mouths, already FAST ASLEEP..and take off just started!! It's a riot. You can TELL who's spent the last two months or longer being buffeted around by high seas 24/7 and those that have been working the stores,warehouses,chandlers and (best of all) BANKS..

What I was impressed the absolute most with was the concrete works; the WWII gun emplacements, the bombshelters,all made without plywood forms. I worked concrete construction before I went up there to Fisheries Observe ( was also Coast Guard ten years before that, up there, patrolling the "Doughnut Hole"..Ever hear of "Adak"? It ain't the end of the world, but you can see it from there..(lol)..and there's a woman behind EVERY tree!! It's amazing!! (lol)

I recall the HUGE ravens there. They're GIANTS and they are NOT impressed with humans. Then there's the eagles. I recall
how much I was impressed with Dutch, and how I imagined the old west was very much like that..your word was your bond and you did what you said you would do, or the whole state could turn it's back on you. Cool. Simple. Honorable.

[james w. bridges]

I LIKE TO TRY TO WORK FOR ONE OF THE CAPITAN OF THE SHIP TO EXPERIENCE THE THILL OF YOUR JOB FOR THE TWO SEASON PLEASE E-MAIL ME BACK.. THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU

[K.O]

ヴァネッサさん、さすがに制作側は、ディスカバリージャパンの視聴者もここを読んでる以上いまさらWWIIを持ち出すべきではないと思うのですが、いかがでしょう？
or should I talk about ignorance that US.didn't know long-term redioactive effct and even own country's(NEVADA)people became victim?
Vanessa,I afraid your indiscration.

[tony mann]

hey thankgod you are gonna show a new series of deadliest catch
without doubt the best tv show discovery have and thats saying something considering just how many great series you have. congrats to the crew for letting us look at there world and a big thankyou to the brave(mad)camera crew that risk there lives to show us exactly goes on.
a big shout out to the new boys on the block the lisa marie good fishing guys and good luck bring on the 40ft pounders and freezin spray
tony!! portsmouth england

[Lisa Carpenter]

Can't wait for the new season to start. Be safe!! Lisa from Louisiana

[Pullo Center]

The Crew is Coming to York, Pa and performing at the Penn State Pullo Center this Friday Oct, 2nd..get tickets at www.pullocenter.psu.edu or call 717-505-8900! It's gonna be a great show!