We recently connected with Dusty Klifman and have shared our conversation below.

Dusty , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Blueyes Below was created as a way to share the amazing underwater world of shipwrecks here in the Great Lakes, with the world! I’ve been a photographer and entertainer for as long as I can remember, and have really found enjoyment in sharing my travels and adventures with those who may never get to experience the places that I do. This really started when I joined the Army in 2010, right after graduating from Highschool. I was stationed overseas in South Korea for 2 years initially, and then Germany for a year after that. I was seeing places that my friends and family would most likely never get to visit, so I took photos of these magnificent temples, castles and places, and made videos to show them the world through my eyes. Fast forward MANY years later, and we have Blueyes Below, which is the nautical version of what I did in the past!

I essentially act as an online tour guide and educator for our rich Great Lakes maritime history on social media. There are many who will never have the opportunity to take a breath under the surface while scuba diving, and some simply have no desire to, but I’ve found that most really do enjoy the history I’m able to share. As a diver and photographer, I’m essentially able to bring these shipwrecks to the surface through my photos and videos for all to enjoy and learn about, without them spending the many years or many dollars to get the certifications and equipment to do this themselves.

Capturing the very deep, and far off shipwrecks that are seldom (if ever) seen in high quality photos and videos has become my specialty, and helps preserve the wrecks digitally as they currently are. Unfortunately, as many of these are wooden vessels, they will eventually break down and be nothing more than a pile of rubble covered in silt, so I’ve got a lot of work to do!

The Great lakes has an estimated 6000-10,000 shipwrecks and many are yet to be discovered! It’s true exploration with all the high tech gear required to search for, document and dive these historical vessels and be able to bring them to the general public. It’s become my mission to make our rich history available to all, and be a positive role model in this industry for anyone who wants to get involved with diving or exploration.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up in a very small town (village) in a farming area in Michigan, and unfortunately pretty far inland from any of the Great Lakes. As a child, I did not grow up knowing about shipwrecks here or of all the shipping that went on in the past, and still continues to this day…that was always something I immediately thought of the oceans and pirates. Always far off places and a time long past, certainly not Michigan!

I was gifted scuba diving training as a 13th birthday gift from my parents and started bringing cameras underwater with me as soon as I could. I wanted to capture photos of fish or small sunken boats to show them this new to me underwater world! This started with cheap disposable film cameras you could buy just about anywhere and would take on vacation.
This was the foundation for where I am today with my full compliment of photography, diving and exploration equipment that even the hardiest explorer would certainly give a head nod to.

I did not grow up wealthy, which may have contributed to my mindset of figuring out how to do things for less. My great grandfather was also a very handy man who liked to “tinker”, and my family thinks this is where I got my knack for building things without the proper tools or material. This skill and mindset has allowed me to outfit my boats with various gear (for cheaper) which has made them very unique and extremely functional for when I’m filming deep shipwrecks. Without this assembly of gear, it would not otherwise be possible to document deep shipwrecks so easily. My setup has since been copied by others due to its functionality and proven track record.

My creative mind, unique skillset, energy and enthusiasm easily sets me apart from others that try to copy my work and style. I’m very proud of my pioneering spirit and for having the ability to do alone, what it takes a team of others to do.
While I am an explorer and entertainer at heart, I do have a captains license for future charter offerings, the ability to do search and recovery of sunken objects, various underwater work, and survey/inspections.

My main platform for delivering free educational content and nautical adventures is through Facebook, Instagram and YouTube under “Blueyes Below” or on my website www.blueyesbelow.com

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The appreciation and awe from the general public when they see my images or hear the stories of the sunken vessels I explore really is the most rewarding. People really do love seeing what is in the depths of the lake as they would have never otherwise gotten to experience them if they are not a diver themselves, or someone like me showed them. That keeps me going.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Occasionally accused of being “stubborn”, when my mind latches on to an idea, I don’t stop working until that thought has been made into reality. In my field, this may be locating a lost shipwreck, re-locating one that had been previously found but the location kept secret, or filming an especially deep wreck. It may take me weeks, months, or years to accomplish a certain goal, but you can be certain that I will eventually cross it off my “to do” list.

I’ve been told “no” more times than I can count when approaching others to work together or offer my services, but this has led to me creating a brand that stands out above the rest and really becoming the expert in what I do over the others due to my resilience, energy and creativity.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Blueyesbelow.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blueyesbelow/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueyesbelow/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/blueyesbelow

Image Credits
Dusty Klifman / Blueyes Below