Into the Darkness: A Pioneering Underwater Cave Explorer on the Courage We Need Above Ground

In the claustrophobic darkness of water-filled caves, International Scuba Diving Hall-of-Famer and renowned explorer Jill Heinerth has learned to master her fear. For more than 30 years, Heinerth has journeyed to the most remote corners of the planet, including the waterways beneath our feet. She has photographed and filmed unexplored caves for her documentaries, dived water-filled caves to help people understand where their freshwater comes from, and created the world’s first 3D map of an underwater cave. Whether being the first person to cave dive an Antarctic iceberg more than twenty years ago, or going farther inside an underwater cave system than any woman before her, Heinerth finds herself in situations where an error on the job could cost lives. 

But she also sees possibilities for the explorer’s mindset beyond the dark and remote caves where she has made a name for herself. In “Into the Darkness,” Heinerth will explore the ways in which facing danger and discomfort can allow us to prevail in challenging times. Her presentation will weave together experiences from decades of trailblazing exploration with the great potential of courage and curiosity above ground.

Bio

Jill Heinerth is an underwater explorer, bestselling author, photographer, speaker, and filmmaker. A pioneer of technical rebreather diving, she has led expeditions into icebergs in Antarctica, volcanic lava tubes, and submerged caves worldwide. Heinerth is the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Her memoir, Into the Planet — My Life as a Cave Diver, has been lauded by the Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and The New York Times. Her children’s book, The Aquanaut, is a Blue Ribbon Selection for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Heinerth is 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 and Stefannson Medal for her lifetime work in exploration.