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Jill Heinerth

Explorer-in-Residence, The Royal Canadian Geographical Society

Jill Heinerth Headshot April 2023
Speaker Reel
Jill Heinerth Thumb 2
Diving into the Darkness (Trailer)
Jill Heinerth Thumb 2
Canary in a Coal Mine
Jill Heinerth TED Thumbnail
TED Youth - The Mysterious World of Underwater Caves
Virtual Promo
Exploring places visited by people fewer times than the Moon
Doorways of Possiblity
Jill
Jill Heinerth Thumb 2
Jill Heinerth Thumb 2
Jill Heinerth TED Thumbnail
Jill Heinerth Headshot April 2023
Speaker Reel
Jill Heinerth Thumb 2
Diving into the Darkness (Trailer)
Jill Heinerth Thumb 2
Canary in a Coal Mine
Jill Heinerth TED Thumbnail
TED Youth - The Mysterious World of Underwater Caves
Virtual Promo
Exploring places visited by people fewer times than the Moon
Doorways of Possiblity

More people have walked on the moon than have visited many of the places that Jill Heinerth has seen on Earth. From the most dangerous technical dives deep inside underwater caves, to searching for never-before-seen ecosystems inside giant Antarctic icebergs, Heinerth’s curiosity and passion about our watery planet is the driving force in her life. In her visually stunning presentations, she encourages audiences to reach beyond their limitations, challenge the unknown, and overcome their fears, while sharing practical lessons on risk management and safety, discovery learning, failure, and collaboration.

From desert oases of the Sahara to Baffin Bay’s cold waters, Heinerth has been the hands and eyes for climatologists, archaeologists, and engineers worldwide. She led the first dives into underwater caves inside Antarctica’s massive B-15 iceberg and was a lead diver on a ground-breaking US Deep Caving Team project, piloting the first accurate 3D cave mapping device using tech that’s now bound for space.

Heinerth became the first Explorer-in-Residence of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society in 2016. She is also a fellow of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Divers Hall of Fame, and the Explorers Club, which awarded her with the William Beebe Award. In addition, Heinerth has been honoured with the Explorer’s Club Stefansson Medal and the Wyland ICON Award, and she is the inaugural recipient of the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration. In 2023, she received her first honorary doctorate from Victoria University of the University of Toronto.

A bestselling author, Heinerth’s first book Into the Planet, was lauded by the Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and the New York Times. Her children’s book, The Aquanut, is a Blue Ribbon Selection for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Heinerth is also the subject of a new documentary Diving into the Darkness, which won Best Documentary Feature at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where it premiered.

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

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Client reviews

  • More people have been to the moon than to places that Jill Heinerth has explored deep inside our watery planet. A world class technical diver and filmmaker, Jill’s extraordinary path from under Antarctic icebergs to tropical blue holes is proof that real life is far more exciting than fiction.

  • Cave diver Jill Heinerth sold everything she owned to get away from office life and become an underwater explorer. The gamble paid off: She’s now considered by many to be the best female scuba diver in the world.

  • Diving with Jill Heinerth is like getting on the ice with Sidney Crosby.

  • The references to constant learning and agile thinking were very relevant to the IBM environment and it made you realize that the skills we are learning now are not just relevant in IBM but for all aspects of our lives.

  • What a great evening. Jill you are one fantastic lady and public speaker. Everyone was totally enchanted.

  • Wonderful speaker. Enthusiastic, inspiring, and powerful life lessons. Beautiful photography as well!

  • Jill was absolutely phenomenal!!! Triple exclamation mark!!! All throughout the day, people stopped me in the rooms and hallways to tell me how much they appreciated Jill’s presentation. Many said it was one of the best plenaries they had ever seen. Our pre-event phone call went well, and it was clear that Jill had been listening carefully — she customized the presentation for our audience.

    Her talk covered many diverse topics, all very relevant for our audience, and I could tell it resonated with our attendees. Her visuals were captivating, her pacing was perfect, her messages reached everyone in the room. We are so very pleased!

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