Jill Heinerth is an explorer. Consistently searching for what lies just beyond view, her curiosity and photographic skills give us a tantalizing peek at a breathtaking world few will ever experience.
Best known as a pioneering technical diver, Jill combines a mastery of underwater technology with a formal Fine Arts education to produce artistic documentation of the natural environment above, below and inside our beautifully fragile planet.
An award-winning filmmaker, Jill wrote, produced, and appeared in WATER’S JOURNEY, the PBS documentary project that takes viewers on visceral travels through the world’s greatest water systems. These programs have found a home in many educational systems, giving young people access to adventure entertainment, while raising their awareness of the need to protect water resources.
Hollywood directors call on Jill Heinerth to create and film difficult underwater scenes, earning her technical director and underwater unit coordinator credits.
Bringing technology to extreme underwater environments, Jill contributes writing and photography to international magazines and websites, including National Geographic, Smithsonian, and dozens of diving publications.
Jill is a reasonable voice in the world of conservation, and is often sought out for insightful commentary and opinions by the press and other institutions. She is also a recognized expert legal witness in matters involving SCUBA and Closed Circuit Rebreather technology.
Jill’s many diving accomplishments are highlighted by an Antarctic cave diving expedition inside the largest iceberg known to man, (the National Geographic film documentary ICE ISLAND), and significant contributions to the Wakulla 2 project, using paradigm-changing technology to map an underwater cave system in three dimensions. At Wakulla, secondary to a scientific mission, Jill established a women’s diving world record.
Some of Jill’s numerous professional diving, photographic and filmmaking awards:
- Sport Diving Magazine: Named A Living Legend
- Women Diver’s Hall of Fame: Inaugural Inductee
- Explorer’s Club Film Festival: Best Documentary
- Canadian Technical Diver of the Year
- Cine Golden Eagle (2)
- Gold Aurora Award
- Fellow: National Speleological Society
- International HD Film Fest: Best Documentary
Jill Heinerth holds various SCUBA, Cave Diving, and Closed Circuit Rebreather instructor credentials. An ADOBE PHOTOSHOP expert, she also teaches Underwater Digital Photography workshops and classes.
A former Toronto ad agency owner, Jill takes on limited advertising clients, applying her distinct skill set to each application.
A popular public speaker, Jill gives entertaining and informative multi-media presentations to groups, clubs and organizations on a wide range of subjects including exploration, motivation and actualization, conservation, risk management, and filmmaking.
Born in Canada, Jill lives with her husband Robert, in North Florida, where she starts most days with a refreshing swim in the clear water of her local spring. You may find more information on Jill at her web site intotheplanet.com
Note: In the past we have always kept the show strictly Shipwrecks related but over the last couple of years we have had some interest on our questionnaires for topics on other types of diving. Jill’s expertise as an explorer, photographer, film maker & cave diver make her an ideal choice for speaker, as these are all some of the most requested topics by you on our annual survey.This year we added this presentation as a direct result of last year’s survey.
EXPLORE
Jill Heinerth’s passion for exploration has taken her from remote Siberia to inside Antarctic icebergs. She’s been the first woman to explore the depths of caves from Mexico to the Southern Ocean and in the process brought home stunning images for television programs and magazines like National Geographic.
Jill’s curiosity and excitement about exploration is infectious and she’ll take the audience on a seat of pants tour through remote water environments while sharing the lessons for life she’s gained along the way. This one-hour multi-media presentation offers a stunning look at footage from her adventure films and photographs from places nobody else has seen before.
