30 Facts About Jill Heinerth

Jill Heinerth was born on 1965 and is a Canadian cave diver, underwater explorer, writer, photographer and film-maker.

Jill Heinerth has made TV series for PBS, National Geographic Channel and the BBC, consulted on movies for directors including James Cameron, and written several books and produced documentaries, including We Are Water and Ben's Vortex, about the disappearance of Ben McDaniel.

Jill Heinerth gained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communications Design at York University, and ran a small graphic design agency in Toronto while teaching scuba in Lake Huron's port of Tobermory in the evenings.

In 2023 Jill Heinerth was awarded a PhD, from Victoria University in the University of Toronto.

In 1991, Jill Heinerth quit her office job and moved to the Cayman Islands to dive full-time, honing skills in underwater photography.

Jill Heinerth then moved to Florida to work on cave diving, where she was mentored by documentary filmmaker Wes Skiles.

Jill Heinerth collaborated with his Karst Productions, based in High Springs, Florida.

In 1998, Jill Heinerth was part of the team that made the first 3D map of an underwater cave.

Jill Heinerth became the first person to dive the ice caves of Antarctica, penetrating further into an underwater cave system than any woman ever In 2001, she was part of a team that explored ice caves of icebergs where she and her then husband Paul Jill Heinerth "discovered wondrous life and magical vistas" and experienced the calving of an iceberg, documented in the film Ice Island.

In 2015, Jill Heinerth participated in exploring the numerous anchialine caves of Christmas Island.

In 2016, Jill Heinerth led an expedition that explored and surveyed the flooded Bell Island Mines in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Jill Heinerth is a Fellow of The Explorers Club, and the inaugural Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

Jill Heinerth consults on training programmes for diving agencies, publishes photojournalism in a range of magazines and speaks around the world.

Jill Heinerth has written opinion pieces and articles about exploration and climate change for global publications including the Los Angeles Times.

In 2020, Jill Heinerth spoke with the podcast This is Love about diving in ice caves in Antarctica.

Jill Heinerth is a prolific public speaker and educator represented by Speaker's Spotlight agency.

In 2020, Jill Heinerth was interviewed on many radio, TV and podcasts programs including the NPR radio program Fresh Air.

Jill Heinerth is the subject of the award-winning feature documentary film Diving Into The Darkness, produced by Running Cloud Productions and directed by Nays Baghai.

Jill Heinerth married cave diver Paul Jill Heinerth in 1996; they later divorced.

Jill Heinerth has produced TV series for PBS, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel and the BBC, consulted on movies for directors including James Cameron.

Jill Heinerth has produced documentaries including We Are Water and Ben's Vortex.

Jill Heinerth hosted and shot underwater videography for the Under Thin Ice episode of on the CBC Television Network.

In 2012, Jill Heinerth was named the "Sea Hero of the Year" by SCUBA Diving Magazine.

Jill Heinerth is a member of the Explorers Club, a fellow of the National Speleological Society, and she has been inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

Jill Heinerth won the OZTek Media Award in March 2013.

In June 2016, Jill Heinerth was named as the first Explorer-in-Residence for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

Later that year, on 7 March 2017, the Governor General of Canada announced that Jill Heinerth was to receive the Canadian Polar Medal.

In March 2018 Jill Heinerth was awarded the Beneath The Sea Diver of the Year Award.

On 18 August 2020 it was announced that Jill Heinerth would be inducted into the International SCUBA Diving Hall of Fame.

Jill Heinerth was named as the 2024 Honorary Ottawa Riverkeeper at the Riverkeeper's annual gala on 29 May 2024.