OP-DOC | 40 Days in the Bering Sea
By Ryan Mills
This article and accompanying media was submitted by an independent student. If you are interested in having your work featured in The Panther, reach out to pantheropinions@chapman.edu.
When I first got the offer to go to Alaska and spend six weeks on a boat 100 miles out in the Bering Sea, I felt nervous. I didn’t have to take this job, but I knew there was no saying no. I love to push myself and after spending a comfortable semester abroad in Madrid, Spain, I wanted to take on something that would be physically, mentally and creatively difficult. Due to being out at sea for 40 days, when I wasn’t filming, I was working, and commercial fishing in the Bering Sea is no joke.
On our first day fishing for salmon, the 1,200-foot net we use got caught in the reel. The combined tension from the 600 feet or so of the net already dragging in the water and the boat driving the other way caused the rope to snap tight. The horrifying creak of the rope stretching was interrupted by our deckboss screaming at me to “run!” As I was running away from this rope that I think is about to snap, I had this deep feeling of helplessness as I thought to myself, “What the hell am I doing out here?”
Luckily the captain was able to put the boat in reverse and we had time to cut the net free, ultimately dislodging the reel. That day set the tone for the next 35 days of work we had ahead of ourselves and the reality of where I was at that moment. The stakes are real. The rest of our days were characterized by early mornings, fresh salmon for lunch and sore muscles. After about a week I became friends with everyone on board, but that doesn’t mean we were friends every day. Imagine having a bad day at work and then you go home and your boss who was just yelling at you is now sitting in your living room asking you to cook them dinner…
What I took away from my time out there was respect for the people who work these jobs year-round. When things got tough I could remind myself that I would never have to do this again. The perseverance, work ethic and overall toughness to be a full-time commercial fisherman is something few people have. This was the hardest thing I have ever done but it has given me perspective and gratitude that I didn’t have before. I hope you enjoy it!