As the remnants of Super Typhoon Nuri bear down on Alaska, hundreds of fisherman, plenty from Seattle, are stuck in waves expected to be at least 50 feet – or five stories -- high.
The storm is one of the strongest on the planet this year, and has the potential to be the biggest to ever hit the Bering Sea.
At Seattle's Fisherman Terminal, everyone knows someone out there.
"Talking to some friends of mine that have boats out there, and they were telling me the guys out there, they've got their hands full," says veteran fisherman George Hamilton III.
"When the weather gets that bad, you don't really have much choice besides riding it out. You can't work, you can't travel. It's truly a life and death situation," he said.
The majority of the fisherman out there are just wrapping up their Bristal Bay red king crab season out near the Alaskan Aleutian Islands.
Mark Gleason, a representative for 70 percent of the fleet out there with Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, says it's no joke.
He also represents the crew of the “Deadliest Catch,” the hit TV show on the Discovery Channel.
"It's huge. If it pans out, if it ends up being what they're predicting it will be a huge storm," Gleason said.
Most boaters are taking cover behind islands or they're in port, but the storm doesn't just roll by.
"This is not a kids' sailing class. These guys are seasoned veterans, they know what they're doing," Gleason said.
The Bristol Bay red king crab season is almost 90 percent of the way through, so Gleason said don't expect too much of an impact in local prices.
But Hamilton said the strength of the storm reminds the veteran fisherman of a basic mantra they live and die by.
"There's one thing that I learned a long time ago: 'If you don't have respect for the ocean, the ocean is going to win every time,'" he said.
KIRO
