What happened to Taylor Jensen from ‘Deadliest Catch’?

Since 2005, Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch has been chronicling crab fishermen’s lives, showing their hard and dangerous work aboard a fishing vessel during crab fishing season in Alaska. One of the fishermen featured on the show was Taylor Jensen, a deckhand and engineer who, like many others on the show, experienced several injuries while on the job.

Jensen joined Deadliest Catch in 2018, and as seen on the show, it isn’t a job for the weak. There are high risks that come with working on a fishing vessel, but it also comes with great rewards. In fact, a deckhand can make anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000 during crab fishing season, which typically lasts a couple of months. However, the responsibilities that come with the job are endless. Deckhands prepare and load supplies; attach fishing devices such as nets, hooks, slings, and cages to devices; sort their catch; and clean the deck and equipment as well as make minor repairs to equipment on the vessel. And they do all that amid harsh weather conditions, too.

Taylor Jensen had his fair share of injuries on the show

In one incident, the crane aboard the vessel had malfunctioned, leaving the large steel crab cage swinging in the air. Jensen took a blow to the side of his head, but fortunately didn’t sustain any grave injuries. In another episode, another deckhand accidentally hit Jensen in the head with a 30-pound steel hook while they were hauling their catch.

Jensen took a few seconds to compose himself after the hit before returning to work, but he soon realized that blood was dripping down his face. Captain Casey McManus, who was also an EMT, checked the injury and determined that apart from the gash on the head, Jensen didn’t have a concussion. He promptly returned to his duties afterward, which earned praise from Captain Josh Harris, who described Jensen as a “phenomenal worker.”

In yet another unfortunate incident, Jensen felt the force of nature when he was pushed to the opposite side of the vessel when a powerful wave, estimated to be around 80,000 gallons of water, hit him. The impact caused him to lose his balance and his ankle rolled the wrong way. Jensen limped to get medical assistance and while being treated was in agonizing pain.

Where is Taylor Jensen now?

Jensen left Deadliest Catch in 2022, but his adventures on the water are far from over. He often shares photos on his Instagram showing what’s going on in his life since his departure, and he has posted photos while working aboard fishing vessels. On June 17, 2024, Jensen shared a photo of the crabbing vessel Cornelia Marie, which was a fixture on Deadliest Catch since 2005.

However, it disappeared from the show shortly after Captain Phil Harris died in 2010. Phil’s sons, Josh and Jake, took over the Cornelia Marie but the former was fired for his involvement in a sexual assault case with a minor when he was 16 years old, and the vessel wasn’t featured in the show afterward.

Now, it seems that Jensen is the new co-owner of the Cornelia Marie, as he revealed in the caption accompanying the photo that he posted that read, “First shipyard as partners in this big blue piece of steel.” Many fans are left wondering whether the Cornelia Marie and Jensen will be making a comeback to Deadliest Catch. The show’s 20th season premiered in June 2024.