Carrying large items requires patience and nerves of steel.
That's according to Colonel Nico Chapral, one of the stars of the new reality series “Harpoon Hunters,” about people who venture into the Atlantic Ocean in search of bluefin tuna.
“I think the toughest part of this industry is…when you're climbing these fish, it's like time slows down for me,” he told Fox News Digital. “It's like a sniper waiting to take a shot. Your heart is pounding in your chest and you have to make that decision about when to throw.”
Chapral said the “pressure” for harpooning tuna “is always there. It's up to the pilot to make that shot and decide when to throw.”
'Evil Tuna' star Charlie Griffin killed in boating accident
Colonel Niko Chapral at the pulpit in Ejidujit. (discovery)
He said that when you “make shots and misses, you can feel the collective disappointment.”
“The pressure is definitely on you as a striker because there are a lot of days when you might only get one shot, and it's a big responsibility,” Chapral added.
WATCH: 'Harpoon Hunter' star feels bluefin tuna is 'waiting for a sniper'
He said the main difference between his team and the “evil tuna” fishermen who use rods and reels is that his crew is “actively hunting the fish.” Ta.
“The dichotomy between the two industries is the “evil tuna,'' which uses a rod and reel, goes out to one location, commits to the location of the day, and waits for the fish to do what the fish do.'' Masu. Come to them,” chaprales told Fox News Digital. “In the harpoon fishery, we're out there and we're actively hunting the fish. So we're trying to find them. And once we find them… we… Harpoon has electricity, and we're trying to get into that perfect spot to land the shot.
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Col. Joe Dion said they can see a lot of wildlife while they are working.
“It's an amazing way to get a glimpse of what we do in the summer,” Dion said. “We see all kinds of wildlife. We see whales, birds, mice, dolphins, sharks. So how we live in the summer and participate in a very sustainable commercial fishing industry. You can really see it.”
WATCH: 'Harpoon Hunter' star says stormy weather can make work dangerous
Dion said one of the most difficult parts of the job is finding the tuna.
Cynthia C2Capt. Tyler Macallister threw a harpoon in the pulpit. (discovery)
“They don't have to stay on the surface; certain atmospheric conditions allow them to become comfortable on the surface, and only for a certain period of time,” he explained. “So finding them is the first challenge. And obviously, once we find them, we sneak up behind them and Nico and Matt and myself throw the harpoon and try to hit them.” If the throw is too fast, it will be too long and can wag the tail.
Dion added that stormy weather on small metal boats is also very dangerous.
The crew of Ejidujit included Niko Chapral, Kevin Ohlsson, and Tom Tinney. (discovery)
“In the harpoon fishery, the fish are often offshore,” he said. “So we have to go 50, 60, 70 miles for a few days. And then one day the sun goes down and we literally drive four hours home. There's a thunderstorm in the morning. Basically , all the metal towers and metal poppers are included in the front, so it's pretty hairy.'
WATCH: 'Harpoon Hunters' star explains how the show is different from 'Evil Tuna'
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Chapral said their work can also get “hairy” if things don't go as planned.
“Sometimes it doesn't go according to plan and that charge also you know, you know, or the fish doesn't zap for some reason,” he explained. “And when that happens, the fish takes the 600 feet of rope that follows the polyball that we call the rig.”
“For me, time slows down. It's like waiting for a sniper to take his shot. Your heart is pounding in your chest and you have to make that decision about when to throw. yeah.”
Chapral said, “Picking that fish up is a hand-pulling, and these fish can get up to 1,000 pounds and are incredibly strong. You know, you pull it and and you have a guy who's after him Another guy in the ropes is trying to keep everything nice and tidy because that fish decides to run and take off and you get caught in the bite of the rope, you. won't stop the fish at all.
Cynthia C2 has Tyler McAllister, Sean Davis and Todd Espinola on perch looking for bluefin. (discovery)
He said the fish they catch range from 73 inches, 200 pounds to 116 inches, almost 900 pounds.
Due to sustainability efforts to increase bluefin tuna populations, Chapral said there is a limit of five fish per day, but when he was younger he would go out with his father and harvest 11 tuna. I remember making $91,000.
Watch: 'Harpoon Hunter' star talks about continuing his late father's legacy
“So that was my personal best day,” he said.
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Chapral said his father died fighting a giant bluefin tuna two years ago, and he feels he has “big shoes to fill.”
“For it to be the last thing he ever did in his life after it left such an impact on the fishing industry. [industry] – not only has a reputation as one of the best fishermen, but everything he's done is based on conservation-based protection, tagging bluefin tuna for conservation reasons. And I definitely feel that pressure. And, you know, I don't want to throw away too much. You have to tune in to see. But I think I stepped into that role, you know, as the captain of Ejidujit. “Me, I feel like I've done at least a half-decent job of living up to the legend,” he said.
“Harpoon Hunters” premieres Friday on Discovery and is also available on Discovery Plus.
