Texas Shrimp Diva: Wild gulf shrimp matters
- Bobby Stanton
- Feb 15
- 2 min read
Nikki Johnson Kunz, also known as the Texas Shrimp Diva, is from Galveston, Texas. She works alongside Captain Jerome Kunz (center) , the oldest shrimper in Texas. Her husband, Jason, is her biggest fan.
At 91 years old, Captain Jerome has been shrimping for decades, raising 10 children and spending nearly 80 years as part of the Mosquito Fleet. A Galveston native, his family owned a fish bait camp in the 1950s and 1960s.
Nikki was kind enough to share a slice of her life with Humans of Galveston. Here's what she had to say:
Nikki: Captain Jerome and I used to go out shrimping seven days a week. I started filming our work to show people what it’s really like to catch wild Gulf shrimp because I wanted them to appreciate the industry. At first, Captain Jerome wasn’t on board—shrimpers don’t like others seeing their catch. To avoid problems, I focused on filming the dolphins, pelicans, and the life surrounding shrimping. Over time, we embraced a bigger mission: supporting wild Gulf shrimp and the shrimping industry.
I always tell people to check the labels when buying shrimp at the grocery store. A lot of it is imported, and many don’t even realize it. Flip the package over and look for ‘Product of USA.’ If it says Indonesia or Taiwan, that means it’s imported. We need people to support our industry, or we won’t survive.
I started shrimping in 2018 after Captain Jerome suffered a leg injury. At the time, I was retired, and I knew he shouldn’t be out there alone. We had just lost two shrimpers who fell overboard and drowned. Since I was available, I stepped in to help.
Before shrimping, I worked in property management for 28 years, overseeing apartments across the U.S. Now, my husband, Jason Kunz, and I live in League City. Jason is the youngest of 10 siblings, with the oldest being 72.
Humans of Galveston: Do you have a website?
Humans of Galveston: Thank you for sharing your story, Nikki.
Nikki: My pleasure, Bobby.
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