Deadliest Catch’s Sig Hansen Reveals Whether He Plans to Retire Due to Doctors’ Health Concerns (Exclusive)

Sig Hansen may have recently turned 60, but retirement isn’t on his radar.

The longtime Deadliest Catch captain tells PEOPLE that despite ongoing speculation about his health following multiple heart attacks, he has no plans to step away from the wheelhouse anytime soon. After season 21 ended with a major health scare, as a doctor recommended Hansen consider retirement, his mind is set for now.

“I keep hearing those rumors myself. The more I hear that, the more I kind of want to rebel and not do that,” Hansen says.

“I don’t see retiring anytime soon,” he adds. “Obviously, I want to see my daughter [Captain Mandy Hansen] move in and partake more, but she had her children, our grandchildren, so that didn’t happen right away. My son-in-law Clark [Pederson] has been stepping up more and more, and he’s perfectly capable. But for me, that’s still kind of an ego thing and I don’t want to retire just yet.”

The milestone birthday itself wasn’t much of a celebration. “I didn’t, that’s the whole beauty of it, you know?” Hansen says when asked how he marked turning 60 in April. “Being in denial is a beautiful thing. It actually works, believe it or not.”

Hansen adds that he’s become “wiser” and avoids putting himself in “harm’s way” as much these days. “I actually get more fearful as I get older. That’s the truth,” he says.

And while he acknowledges his time on the water won’t last forever, he’s not ready to hand over the crown just yet. “I know time is limited, so I want to keep doing it while I can,” Hansen says. “I think there’s a little ego involved. And I don’t want anybody knocking me off my throne just yet.”

“I know there’s a line of people waiting, but I’m not ready for that.”

As for what retirement might eventually look like, Hansen says he and his wife have begun building a future beyond fishing with an event center in Norway. But even then, he says he doubts he’ll ever fully disconnect from the industry that has defined his life.

“I don’t think I could ever fully retire,” Hansen says. “Even if someone else was running the boat, your mind is still active. You’re thinking about the weather, where they’re at. You can never turn it off. I don’t think I’d respect myself if I could just walk away from it completely.”

A year after Deadliest Catch celebrated its 20th anniversary, Hansen says he’s still amazed by what the Discovery series has become. Deadliest Catch premiered on the network in April 2005, with Hansen appearing in the show since its premiere season.

“When we first started the show — or the documentary as it were — it was more about just kind of showing the world what the fleet was all about and how we did our work and our jobs,” he says. “And it just kind of snowballed into Deadliest Catch and a phenomenon. It’s still pretty flattering today, and I think it’s going to keep continuing on. That’s the whole beauty of it. It’s just amazing.”

While much has changed since season 1, Hansen says some aspects of the industry remain the same. The veteran fisherman says safety improvements have been a major focus over the years, particularly as camera crews became an integral part of life onboard. Those behind the series are “trying to be as safe as we can under the circumstances,” he adds.

Though the captains have collaborated more than in years past, Hansen admits trust still only goes so far among fishermen. “Over all these decades working with these guys, it’s still competitive, and we still don’t have trust in each other, honestly,” he says. “They’ll all say the same thing.”

“Jonathan is a great guy, but he can still lie to you, and I’ll lie back. It’s embedded in our DNA. I don’t lie to my wife. I don’t lie to my kids. But I sure the hell lie to fishermen. That’s when I’m on the job.”

Still, Hansen’s age has brought a new level of respect among the fleet. “We don’t have anything to prove anymore,” he says. “I think the ego thing has taken a little sidestep, and now we’re more into, ‘OK, let’s just get down to business and not try to one-up each other.’ “

One of the most emotional storylines the show’s 22nd season centers on the death of deckhand Todd Meadows, which occurred while working aboard the F/V Aleutian Lady. His presence will continue throughout the season in footage filmed prior to the accident. He was 25.

Hansen says the death “happened suddenly” and there’s “still speculation about what happened and why,” noting that the Coast Guard is investigating. The captain also recalls spending time with Meadows shortly before his death.

“I was actually with him and my crew before one of our trips,” Hansen says. “We shot a game of pool together and he seemed like a very friendly fellow. He was very proud of his two kids.”