Female Deckhand Maria Dosal Is the New Breakout Star of 'Deadliest Catch'

When Season 16 of Deadliest Catch premiered earlier this month, we were pleasantly surprised to see a new deckhand on board the Cornelia Marie — a female deckhand, that is. 

King Cove, Alaska native Maria Dosal joined captain Josh Harris and the rest of his crew for the 2019 "opies" (aka snow crab) season, which kicked off in October. 

Fans are loving the dynamic between the experienced fisherwoman and her male colleagues, with one viewer writing, "She is one tough lady — I think she will make the CM more interesting." Here’s what we’ve learned about the brunette beauty since her reality TV debut.

According to Facebook, the self-proclaimed "adventurer" landed her first job on a boat in June 2015, working as a deckhand for the F/V Pacific Quest. In August 2017, she transitioned to the F/V Nicholas Michael. 

During the premiere, Josh explained why he hired Maria to help out on the Cornelia Marie. "I decided I’m going to go out one heavy so we can get production up a little bit," the 37-year-old shared. 

"[Maria’s] a badass chick… She worked on boats for a long time. She knows what she’s doing," he added, noting, "She could probably show some of the boys a thing or two."

In an April 11 Instagram post, Maria teased her appearance on the long-running series. "I did this thing last fall out on the Bering Sea called King Crabbing. It just so happens the boat I was on, The Cornelia Marie, is featured on this show called Deadliest Catch," she captioned a carousel of photos taken aboard the fishing vessel. 

"I think they might occasionally show me doing some really hard things on deck. So if you have cable and you’re stuck at home like everyone is, check it out!" she continued. "Blood, sweat, and a lot of tears went into the making of this. I can absolutely vouch for that."

A few days later, Maria revealed more details about the grueling feat. "Tonight on [Deadliest Catch] you’ll get to witness how I spent my winter," she wrote. "It was a long, hard, cold, tough, and rough season and I still can’t believe I did the damn thing."

The 25-year-old told followers that there are "no words to describe the sheer stamina and strength" it takes to work on a crab boat. "It’s not a cake walk," she admitted. "It’s been real, and it’s been fun, but it ain’t been real fun."

The pair has been an item for at least a year-and-a-half, though it’s possible that they’ve been a couple much longer. Ry first appeared on Maria’s Instagram in a December 2017 group picture, but she didn’t post a photo of just the duo until October 2018. 

Last May, Maria gave her boyfriend an adorable shout-out after she injured her foot. "You’re going to be gone catching fish soon up in the Bay, While I’m here at home healing up my ol’ peg-leg," the message reads. "So here’s a silly little poem to tell you how much I appreciate you, For all of the sweet things that you do.

"You pick me up when I’m down in the dumps, And carry me to and from the truck. You rushed me to the ER when I needed it, And kept me properly medicated. I know it’s super duper cheesy for the gram, But cheesy, is what I am."

New episodes of Deadliest Catch air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery Channel.