Luke Clyburn

Luke Clyburn

Luke Clyburn is a USMM Captain and operates the 81 foot Research/Training vessel Pride of Michigan. He is a professional dive instructor, underwater photographer/filmaker and Commanding Officer of the Great Lakes Division of Naval Sea Cadets. Clyburn is also the founder and President of the Noble Odyssey Foundation, created to expand knowledge of the Great Lakes through seagoing education and underwater research projects. A 501-c-3 organization, NOF also supports the training of the Great Lakes Division Sea Cadets.

Some 35 years ago Luke Clyburn volunteered to help train a few young Sea Cadets at the Southfield Naval Reserve Center. He very soon decided that to really develop a maritime interest in young people, their training should take place under realistic conditions “at sea” where Sea Cadets, 13-18 years old, would participate directly in the operation of a ship. For their voyages to be successful the young crew, with adult supervision, would have to learn the technical skills of seamanship, as well as personal responsibility and teamwork.

In 1977 Luke Clyburn acquired the first ship, a 75' former Navy training vessel used at Annapolis, and named it Noble Odyssey. In addition to shipboard training, the Cadets earned certifications as PADI divers and began to take part in Great Lakes underwater research projects led by scientists. In the process, Cadets gained valuable field experience in scientific and maritime research.

Over 35 years and two ships later, Captain Clyburn and his professional team of specialists have trained hundreds of young people, many of whom pursued careers in the Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Marine, Sciences, Naval Architecture and Archaeology.

With support from the Noble Odyssey Foundation (NOF), Sea Cadets nationwide take part in a ‘Great Lakes Odyssey’, combining diver training, seamanship experience and underwater research projects with professional divers, archaeologists and scientists. Working closely with the NOAA staff at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan the diver training and projects extend throughout the Great Lakes. Nine award winning films have been produced which document diving, research projects and training.

In 2005 Clyburn's staff and cadets supported Jean-Michel Cousteau's dive team as they filmed historic shipwrecks in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary near Alpena, Michigan. The Cadets appeared in the Cousteau documentary series Ocean Adventures, which aired on PBS.

One outstanding senior cadet, Nathan Dembeck from Warren, Michigan, was assigned to assist the Cousteau team directly in dive operations. Offered a permanent position with the organization, Nathan now travels the world working with the team on the underwater documentary films produced by Cousteau's Ocean Futures group.

In 2008, the Noble Odyssey Foundation produced its seventh documentary film, Great Lakes, Ancient Shores: River Channels. The film describes exploration and research along the now submerged ancient river channel which runs some 80 miles through the Straits of Mackinac and features fantastic underwater footage of the shipwrecks which rest near the ancient banks.

In April of 2008, the National Geographic Channel featured Captain Luke Clyburn, dive instructor Kathy Trax and marine biologist Dr. Douglas Hunter in the program The Great Lakes. Luke provided the underwater footage and commentary about the drowned forest which lies in 40 feet of water in Lake Huron. In 2009, Noble Odyssey divers discovered a second ‘Drowned Forest’ in Thunder Bay. Samples from this site are presently being analyzed and dated. The 2009 film Great Lakes, Ancient Shores: Voyage Into History will be produced in HD format.

Additional information may be found at:

Luke will be presenting the following programs at this year's show: