Freezing Woman 7 - Diving Into Darkness: The Fearless World of Jill Heinerth
Our first keynote at Freezing Woman 7 is:
Jill Heinerth, FRCGS, D. Lit. h.c., Explorer-in-Residence, The Royal Canadian Geographical Society
From technical dives deep inside underwater caves to being the first person to swim inside Antarctic icebergs, Heinerth collaborates with climatologists, archaeologists, biologists, and engineers worldwide. Jill has made TV programs for the CBC, BBC, National Geographic, consulted on movies for directors including James Cameron and produced independent films. Over 2.5 million people have learned about climate change, water advocacy, and exploration by viewing Jill’s TED Talks.
Jill has been awarded Fellowships from prestigious international institutions including the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Diver’s Hall of Fame, National Speleological Society, WINGS WorldQuest, and Explorers Club, which honoured her with the William Beebe Award. In Canada, she has received the Stefansson Medal, Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal, Governor General’s Polar Medal and the King Charles Coronation medal. The Wall Street Journal, Oprah, and New York Times lauded Jill’s best-selling books Into the Planet and The Aquanaut. In 2025, Running Cloud Productions of Australia released a feature documentary, Diving Into The Darkness, about Jill's remarkable life.
Jill serves as a tireless advocate for conservation, climate change, and water resource protection. She works toward creating awareness and inspiring action through her writing, photography, films, social media, podcasts, and speaking engagements.
