Jill Heinerth

Jill Heinerth

Jill Heinerth with rebreather (picture: Robert Mcclellan)

Jill Heinerth (picture: Robert Mcclellan)
Born 1965[1]
Toronto, Canada
Occupation Cinematographer, explorer, cave diver
Spouse(s) Paul Heinerth,[2] Robert McClellan[3]
Website www.intotheplanet.com

Jill Heinerth is a Canadian cave diver, underwater explorer, writer, photographer and film-maker.[4] According to Outside Online, many consider her the best female underwater explorer in the world.[5] She has made TV series for PBS, National Geographic Channel and the BBC, consulted on movies for directors including James Cameron, written several books and produced documentaries including We Are Water[5] and Ben's Vortex, about the disappearance of Ben McDaniel.

Early life and education

Jill Heinerth diving
Jill Heinerth diving

As a child, Heinerth was inspired by Jacques Cousteau's television series. In 5th grade, she gave a Science Fair project about mysterious disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle.[6] She 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.[6]

Career

In 1991, Heinerth sold her business and moved to the Cayman Islands to dive full-time, honing skills in underwater photography.[6] She then moved to Florida to work on cave diving, where she was mentored by documentary filmmaker Wes Skiles.[6] She collaborated with his Karst Productions, based in High Springs, Florida.[1]

In 1998, Heinerth was part of the team that made the first 3D map of an underwater cave.[7] Heinerth became the first person to dive the ice caves of Antarctica, penetrating further into an underwater cave system than any woman ever[5] In 2001, she was part of a team that explored ice caves of icebergs.[8] where she and her then husband Paul Heinerth "discovered wondrous life and magical vistas" and experienced the calving of an iceberg, documented in the film Ice Island.[9]

In 2015, Heinerth participated in exploring the numerous anchialine caves of Christmas Island.[10]

She consults on training programmes for diving agencies, publishes photojournalism in a range of magazines and speaks around the world.[6]

Personal life

Heinerth was married to cave diver Paul Heinerth.[2] As of 2012, her second husband is writer, photographer and new media expert Robert McClellan, with whom she lives in north Florida and on a small houseboat on the Humber River in Canada.[3] Heinerth has described her hobbies as hiking, kayaking and gardening; "My favorite pastime is getting up at dawn and cycling to my local spring where a robust swim against the current of the Santa Fe River starts my day on the right track."[6]

Works

Bibliography

Film

She has produced TV series for PBS, National Geographic Channel, Discovery channel and the BBC, consulted on movies for directors including James Cameron. She has produced documentaries including We Are Water[5][11] and Ben's Vortex.[12]

Awards

Heinerth is a member of the Explorers Club and a fellow of the National Speleological Society, and she has been inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame.[6] She won the OZTek Media Award in March 2013[13] and in November 2013 was awarded the first ever Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 Mark Schrope (1 October 2003). "Deep Transmissions Armed with a revolutionary new tracking device, cave divers map threats to Florida's main water source". Outside Online. Mariah Media Network LLC. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 Jill Heinerth (2003). "Ice Island". Advanced Diver magazine. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 "JILL HEINERTH LOVES THE PLACES WHERE HER FRIENDS HAVE GONE TO DIE". Filmcourage. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 Ghomeshi, Jian. "Best of Q: Cave diver Jill Heinerth on fear management". cbc.ca. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Andrews, Avital (14 December 2012). "My Perfect Adventure: Jill Heinerth". Outside Online.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Jill Heinerth : OceanAGE Career Profile". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOOA). 29 March 2013.
  7. Yundt, Heather (2013). "Jill Heinerth Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration". Canadian Geographic.
  8. Kendrick, DF (2009). "Science of the National Association for Cave Diving (NACD): Water Quality, Hydrogeology, Biology and Psychology". In: Pollock NW, ed. Diving for Science 2009. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences 28th Symposium. Dauphin Island, AL. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
  9. Jennifer Goldblatt (13 November 2002). "Explorers' film wins top honor". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  10. Iliffe T, Humphreys W (2016). "Christmas Islands Hidden Secret". Advanced Diver Magazine. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
  11. Heinerth, Jill (Actor, Director, Narrator, Host); McClellan, Robert (Producer) (1 January 2013). We are Water (DVD). Heinerth Productions, Inc. ISBN 0979878993. Archived from the original on 20 March 2016.
  12. Jill Heinerth (Director) (2012). Ben's Vortex (DVD). Heinerth Productions, Inc. ISBN 0979878985.
  13. Rosemary E Lunn Tech talk: Tales of ‘Daring Do’ Xraymag, issue 54, May 2013, p.58
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