A fisherman who works on the treacherous North Sea has revealed how much he makes each month - but is it worth it?
If you've scrolled long enough on social media recently, chances are you'll have come across the very specific, but very wild world of North Sea TikTok.
Videos shared by people who make a living among the huge waves and harsh weather have garnered thousands of views, with fisherman Benjamin Bakke (@benjamin_bakke on Instagram) among those sharing their experiences.
Advert
One video shared by Bakke showed him sliding dramatically around his small bathroom on the boat while trying to clean his teeth, before being thrown to the ground entirely when the boat hit a big wave.
Other clips show the fisherman being flung around other areas of the boat, proving that work on the North Sea is far from your average 9-5.
Bakke, who is from Norway, began his career on the ocean when he was just 17 years old, and has now been working as a fisherman for eight years.
The TikToker told UNILAD you 'don't really need much more than a safety course and a medical certificate' to become a fisherman on the North Sea, but that doesn't mean it's an easy job.
"Of course you need to handle the work at sea and the many hours you have to work out there," Bakke pointed out. "It’s not for everyone."
Proving his point, Bakke reflected on one occasion at work where he fell from the top deck down into the fishroom, where the crews store their catches.
It was a fall of around 5-6 metres, and Bakke ended up breaking his back as a result.
The fisherman was out of work for 3-4 months due to the injury, but he told UNILAD that he 'did not think of quitting', even then.
Having gone through all that and still being willing to return to work, it would be natural to assume that Bakke must earn some pretty hefty wages.
However, he explained that his earnings each month are entirely dependent on how much fish they manage to catch.
On a good month, he could walk away with $6,000 - a figure that might just make you consider being flung about a boat for days on end.
On a not-so-good month, though, Bakke could earn just $1,000 - less than federal minimum wage in the US.
TikTok users watching Bakke's videos have made clear that they wouldn't be able to handle the extreme working conditions his job presents, with one TikToker joking they 'got bruises' just watching his videos, but Bakke is satisfied with his career.
Explaining why he loves the job, Bakke said: "I like that when you work, you work, and when you have time off you don’t need to go to work. And I like to see new places and travel at sea.
"I also like to see what we catch, I'm always excited to see what we catch."
Fair enough, but one thing you won't catch is me on board a North Sea fishing boat.
Topics: World News, TikTok, Travel, Life, Money
Emily Brown