'Deadliest Catch' Season 15 Announced, and There's a New Captain in Town

Deadliest Catch is back for a landmark 15th season, and with it a new boat with a cut-throat captain.

The Emmy-winning docuseries is returning to Discovery Tuesday, April 9 at 9 p.m. ET, the network announced Wednesday, bringing with it new blood, dangerous weather and season-ending injuries, all in the search for crab.

There's a new crew in Dutch Harbor, Alaska this season, as the "no-nonsense" Captain Steve "Harley" Davidson and the 148-foot-long Southern Wind take their place in the fleet, rumored to know the location of more than a quarter-billion dollars worth of king crabs.

With that kind of scoop and the second-largest boat in the fleet, Harley isn't exactly quick making friends with his fellow captains, especially Captain Keith Colburn, whose boat, The Wizard, is the only vessel larger than Southern Wind.

If Harley's hunch turns out to be right, it will mean all-out war among the captains in the fleet, taking the hunt for crabs into close quarters and a whole new realm of trouble, all while the crabbers battle devastating winter weather causing more damage to their boats than they've seen in years.

On the Northwestern, Captain Sig Hansen is continuing to prepare his 23-year-old daughter Mandy to take over the reigns as relief skipper, but will she be able to step into her father's legendary shoes?

The Saga finally appears to be in a good place after years of work from Captain Jake Anderson and his crew, leading him to consider buying into the boat to become a partner. There's a major obstacle to gaining ownership, however, requiring the young captain to bring in more than a quarter-million in pure profit to buy in.

On the Summer Bay, Captain Wild Bill Wichrowski has two brand new greenhorns — and a tiny dog named Rico — to keep his eye on, as he works to catch enough crab to make a looming boat payment. When one of his newcomers goes missing at sea, it's far from a normal year for the seasoned captain.

Five years after Captain Sean Dwyer's dad passed away, the Brenna A's leader is looking forward after proving himself in the Bering Sea and working to convince his mother and business partner that they need to buy a second boat, all while outsmarting the veteran captains looking to hone in on his plans.

After the daring and successful exploits of Cornelia Marie Captains Josh Harris and Casey McManus, the two young bucks have to prove last year wasn't just luck — with $1 million extra quota on the line.

With all this on the line, the captains have their hands more than full without added complications from the harsh Alaskan weather. But as temperatures dip lower than they have in more than five years, parts of the Bering Sea are turning to ice — with the boats in it!

Deadliest Catch returns for Season 15 on Tuesday, April 9 at 9 p.m. ET only on Discovery. For extra content and exclusive interviews, check out the Discovery Go app and discovery.com.

Photo credit: Discovery