What Happened to 'Deadliest Catch' Deckhand Oj Ganuelas? He's Been a Fan Favorite

There is a good portion of humanity that will gladly spend their last few dollars on some sumptuous crab legs. What we often don't think about is what it took to get those crab legs from the sea to the table. Deadliest Catch has told the story of the people behind the crabs for 20 seasons since it first premiered in 2005, giving its viewers a glimpse into just how difficult crabbing season is. Now, longtime viewers have become armchair specialists who have very strong opinions about the show.

With the fandom comes the favorites and least favorites. Fans have their favorite vessels, favorite captains, and even favorite crew members. In fact, viewers often empathize with the deckhands and other lower crewpeople as they bear the brunt of the dangers. And crabbing season is extremely dangerous. The show is called Deadliest Catch, after all, and there have been quite a few life-threatening instances over the years. One popular deckhand who has been through the wringer is Oj Ganuelas.

Pascual "Oj" Ganuelas has appeared off and on the show since Season 16. It's unclear if he stays on the vessel for the full crabbing season or if he only works part of it. If the latter is true, then it makes sense that he has been seen in a few episodes in each season he's been on. He has not been featured in a lot of episodes over the past four seasons, but when he does make an appearance, it's usually an impactful one. He's certainly faced some perilous conditions and nearly lost his life.

Oj is a deckhand on the F/V Wizard. Deckhands have a laundry list of duties on a fishing vessel, and because of this, they are often the first ones in the line of danger. The ocean swells are terrifying and huge, and it's easy for anyone on the crew to fall overboard or get injured. Season 16, Episode 19 saw Oj being thrown overboard during the Snow Moon, which created dangerous waves. In Season 19, Oj had a heart attack on the vessel and was taken to the hospital by Captain Keith Colburn.

Just because someone is on a fishing vessel doesn't mean they're on the show. There are quite a few people on the various vessels who avoid the cameras. For one, as mentioned before, he might only work part of the season. It is also entirely possible that Oj is a full-time member of the F/V Wizard crew, and we just only see him based on what's in the final edit. One thing that is clear is that he and Captain Keith have a close relationship, making the likelihood of his being full-time more plausible.