32 stunning photos that take you inside the dangerous, deadly, and never-before-seen world of Nicaraguan lobster divers

A massive blizzard slammed the US in mid-February 2007. The day after the storm abated, I sat in my apartment, logged onto Kayak, and began considering my options for an upcoming weeklong vacation.

I settled on Nicaragua, but little did I know that what began as a backpacking trip would eventually turn into the award-winning documentary film"My Village, My Lobster" covering one of the most dangerous industries on the planet: commercial lobster diving. The five-year project would bring onboard film producer and cinematographer Brad Allgood and cinematographer Isabelle Carbonell.

This is the inside look at life onboard a real-life lobster boat.

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I landed in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, without a place to stay and nothing in the way of a plan. Within two days, I found myself drinking beers with other backpackers in the beautiful post-colonial town of Granada, about an hour's drive from the capital.

After several days in town, I felt the itch to move on. I mentioned to a few other travelers my intentions of exploring the east coast, about an hour's flight from Managua, and was quickly chided. The relative isolation of the Miskito coast serves as a main corridor for drug traffickers heading north from South America. It had a certain reputation for being dangerous, yet I decided to board the next flight out.

It was over a lobster dinner on Big Corn Island when I first learned about the savage, deadly commercial lobster industry. I wanted to experience it firsthand, so on to Puerto Cabezas — the capital of the region and home to the indigenous Miskito Indians — I went.

There are usually a few flights a day from Managua to Puerto Cabezas. With weather patterns changing by the minute, you're guaranteed a bumpy, stomach-churning hour-and-a-half ride — if and when your flight leaves.

Here's a look at the coast of Puerto Cabezas, looking south toward the dock where lobster boats load and unload crew, supplies, and the precious "red gold": the Caribbean spiny lobster.