'Deadliest Catch' star Sig Hansen admits fear of death is making him rethink retirement plans

The longtime star of the hit Discovery Channel series confessed that fear, loss and family have changed his perspective, and although the 59-year-old said last year that he had no plans to call it quits, he has now reconsidered.

Hansen added that the fear has become harder to ignore as he and his crew braved unforgiving 50-foot seas in treacherous waters.

WATCH: SIG HANSEN SHARES LIFE-THREATENING EXPERIENCES HE'S FACED ON 'DEADLIEST CATCH'

"I don't have the same mentality I did as before, where you look at everything as a challenge. And it's still challenging, but it's not the same."

While Hansen isn't quite ready to hang up his boots, he explained that his priorities may be shifting, as the call of home is growing louder than the call of the sea.

"I will continue to do it," he says of captaining the Northwestern. "But retirement is obvious."

These days, Hansen has a new reason to stay closer to home.

In the Season 21 premiere of "Deadliest Catch," which aired Friday, Hansen teamed up with returning captain Johnathan Hillstrand as the two headed to the abandoned Adak Island in search of a rumored giant king crab.

Co-captaining the Time Bandit, the veteran fishermen kicked off a modern-day gold rush - but the race for the rare crab took a dangerous turn when chaos erupted aboard the Titan Explorer and forced Captain Jake Anderson's crew to abandon ship.

"Deadliest Catch" airs Fridays at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel.