Text by Bonnie Harris McKenna Photos courtesy of Jill Heinerth Jill Heinerth, whose first job was a newspaper route in her home town of Toronto, Canada, is today a pioneer techni- cal diver and instructor, a renowned explorer of underwater caves who owns a record for the deepest and longest cave dive, and a record for the longest dive into an Antarctic iceberg. She is also a respected film- maker, author and pho- tographer. She has been honored by the diving community by being an inaugural inductee into the Women Divers Hall of Fame, and this year, she will receive the Nogi award in recognition of her continued work in the Jill dive industry. Heinerth

Heinerth currently resides in High Springs, bat photojournalist—all critical tools at that puts out creative professionals. My JH: I was a volunteer swim instructor and Florida, with her husband, Robert Heinerth Productions. advanced education is in curiosity,” she lifeguard at a local swimming pool when, McCellan, who is not only her life partner Heinerth earned a Bachelor of Fine commented. at age 16, I got a chance to try scuba. I but her business partner, too. He has a Arts in Visual Communications Design was hooked. I finally got certified in uni- background in concert promotion, as a from York University. “It is a highly special- BHM: When and where did you become versity. I had been wanting to do it all my studio engineer and a Navy SeaBee com- ized and competitive four-year degree interested in ? life, but I had to earn the cash to take the

43 X-RAY MAG : 45 : 2011 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED profile Heinerth we can get with our antenna.

BHM: What are the greatest challenges you have faced in your career?

JH: I’ve faced numer- ous challenges being a woman in a man’s world. Whether it is in the field of or filmmaking, that said, the older I get, the more our world seems to embrace tal- ent in either gender.

BHM: What are the most important BHM: If you could switch attributes of a person who wants to get professions, what would it involved in the work you do? be? JH: That’s tough, because I JH: I think humility is the key… perhaps in am living my dream. all aspects of life. Tenacity is critical, too. If you have a dream, you can accom- BHM: What do you do plish anything you set your sights on, but when you are not working? it will take tenacity and really hard work to succeed. JH: My husband and I have a really weird yard. BHM: How do you prepare for the We grow as much of our demands of tech-diving? food as possible and built an outdoor shower, a yurt JH: In diving, fitness is ideally important and a geodesic green- and that includes physical and men- house. We love working on tal fitness. I manage to put in hundreds classes. My early years in diving were in astronauts were pretty cool. our mini-farm and yard art. of dives every year, but I still focus on Tobermory, Canada, in the wreck capital We are also avid cyclists rehearsal and currency. I have a lot of of the Great Lakes. BHM: Diving, writing, filmmaking, photo- and paddlers. diving toys and have to remain fresh and journalism – which came first, how did before taking those toys out on BHM: Did you have a hero when you you connect them and why? BHM: What is the one thing a job. Then, Practice, Practice, Practice were growing up that influenced your about you that your col- and always accept new learning oppor- desire to dive and explore? JH: I had a small advertising and graph- leagues may not know? tunities. ics company in Toronto and taught div- JH: This may sound obvious, but I ing at night. The ad agency was the JH: That one thing is actu- BHM: What kind of person do you want loved ’s Undersea money. The diving was the relaxing bit. I a dive instructor, guide and managing ally two. I am a painter and love to diving on the same team as you? Adventures. It was on on Sunday night, knew I needed to find a way to bridge the marketing for the resort. In terms of watch “Dancing with the Stars”. My hus- and we were permitted to have our din- my two loves, so I sold the business, photography, I think I have always been band loves watching, too. We watch JH: Open minded. Comfortable in their ner in the living room to watch the show. packed up and moved to the Cayman the person to document life and share it. very little TV; we don’t even have cable own skin. Versatile, creative thinkers and That was a real treat. I also thought the Islands for almost three years working as or satellite; we have to rely on what hard workers.

44 X-RAY MAG : 45 : 2011 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED profile Heinerth BHM: I believe you own a record for your expertise.

JH: Yes, it was at for five hours at 300 feet.

BHM: What drives you to push the envelope?

JH: Life is a puz- zle, and I believe that almost anything can be solved with the right tools, JH: I was patience and imagination. Exploration exposed to often leads me to push the limits of dry caves human endeavor, but it is always sec- first. I always ondary to finding the answers for ques- loved small tions that drew me in the first place. spaces, but they feel BHM: How do you see the future? even more comfortable JH: It is an interesting time of change in to me when our world. There is a great shaking up of I am under- old ways and old institutions that don’t water. serve the population. Everything about BHM: When preparing for an expedition scheduled for announcement in the but that is because I how I work has changed. I have to work what are you looking for in team mem- third quarter of this year. What are your am always willing to BHM: What leaner, broader and smarter in every bers? thoughts and do you think it might be the look for the next great- is your fasci- aspect of my business. I embrace that wave of the future in diving? est innovation. It is nation with change as exciting, and I feel very posi- JH: On expeditions, I might be looking for life support, and you caves/over- tive about the world that will arise from a particular talent beyond diving, such JH: The industry is simplifying the Type R should own the best head envi- the change we are experiencing today. as an audio recordist or mechanic. I can- so that they are automated thing you can afford. ronments? not afford a huge crew, so I need fewer and easier to use. I do not know if they I have to be able to BHM: Are there any caves you will not people to cover more bases. are the wave of the future, but if the look my husband in JH: Cave dive? marketplace is up to it and willing to the eye (he barely dives) and tell him diving is like swimming in the veins of BHM: You are known as an expert in grow with it, it might be. There is nothing that I am using the safest thing available Mother Earth. It feels primordial. When I JH: Definitely not!!! the use of closed circuit rebreathers. like diving with no bubbles, you can get to me. cave dive and follow the flow of water, Recently, PADI’s magazine, Undersea really close to observe the animals. I feel like I am seeing things that nobody BHM: What are your best and worst expe- Journal, had an article discussing the BHM: Much of the work you are known has witnessed before…and many times, riences? launch of their Diver and BHM: What influences your selection of for involves cave diving. Were you I am. I love the allure of exploration, and Advanced Rebreather Diver courses rebreathers? exposed to exploring dry caves before caves are perhaps the greatest source of JH: Antarctica and Antarctica. It was like that address recreational divers diving you started cave diving? the unknown. going to another planet, but there were with Type R rebreathers. The courses are JH: I have owned a lot of rebreathers, many physical and mental challenges.

45 X-RAY MAG : 45 : 2011 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED profile Heinerth Records: ing water Earth. Women Divers Hall of Fame resources I think Florida is a microcosm of what is ● Longest dive into an iceberg—2001: and how they happening elsewhere. We are pumping Three hours using Cis Lunar MK-5P can be good more water out of the ground everyday rebreather. Water -1.9°C stewards and than is replenished by rain. We are the (28.6°F). protect those largest water hogs east of the Mississippi ● Longest deep cave penetration— precious using a gluttonous amount [of water] to 1999 (Women): 3,050 meters (10,000 resources for create ridiculous golf course lawns that feet) cave penetration at a depth of the future. we cover with pesticides, herbicides 91 meters (300 feet) for five hours dur- That means and fertilizers that soak into the ground, ing a science and mapping dive at I talk to a lot flow through the landscape and pollute Wakulla Springs. of students, springs, rivers and lakes. All that eventu- Rotary Clubs, ally pours out in the nurseries we find in Books: organizations, estuaries, and it causes horrible filamen- Essentials of cave diving (2010) etc. People tous algae to explode on our coral reefs. Cave diving: Articles and opinions must know Don’t get me wrong, it is not just lawns; (2008) where their there are many other sources of nitrate Digital (2010) drinking water pollution, but it serves as a good exam- Side mount profile (2010) comes from ple of how we, perhaps unknowingly, and under- cause catastrophic events downstream Published in: stand that from normal everyday actions in our National Geographic their actions homes. Smithsonian on the surface I don’t [think] anyone really wants to Deep (China) of the Earth pollute or [they] would connect their Diver (China) affect the lawns with our oceans, but I think my Wired quality of the biggest and most important job in life is All recognized dive publications and I was also one of the closest calls I ever current kept sucking us back into the water beneath their feet. We will be to help people make these connections countless newspapers and Web sites had. iceberg. Later, in the evening, while fighting wars over water… not oil. and make better choices in their lives back on board the ship, we heard a When I swim in underwater caves, I am whether at work or at home. With edu- Featured in: BHM: Can you tell me about it? loud explosion; the iceberg exploded acutely aware that I am cation and a lot of small Sports Illustrated for Women into a square mile of ice cubes. It also swimming through the life changes, we can make a National Geographic JH: First, let me clarify. My worst experi- spawned an enormous wave. Diving the blood of our planet. I get “When you do push difference. National Geographic Adventure ence was getting bent. Antarctica was iceberg was an incredible and unique to swim through the very If we can increase water Undersea Journal another experience altogether. It was experience. veins of Mother Earth. As I the envelope and your literacy and recognize Sport Diver my first ever cave dive in an iceberg, chase freshwater beneath experience fear, it clean water as a basic and my two partners did not have expe- BHM: How did you get started in filmmak- the surface of the earth, is like there’s a new human right, the world will Contributor to numerous Tech Diving rience with icebergs either. We were ing? I realize everything that be a more peaceful place. publications on a National Geographic assignment we do on the surface of boundary for what is in 2001 to intercept and dive B-15, the JH: I did some TV work before I started our porous planet will be possible.” BHM: Are you currently Film and Television: world’s largest recorded iceberg. [B-15 filmmaking. In fact, the first story I wrote returned to us to drink. working on any new films? Credits for more than 30 various pro- calved from the Ross Ice Shelf in March for film was the Antarctic film in 2001, I’ve seen the changes in —Jill Heinerth. ductions including the PBS production 2000 was larger, in area, than the island and I have done a number of indepen- the quality of water. I’ve JH: Yes, two works are in of Water’s Journey a documentary of Jamaica and estimated to weigh dent films since that time. noted the diminished flow progress: Ben’s Vortex, series that takes viewers on a journey around three billion tonnes. Despite that sometimes allows a cave system to which is about a diver who disap- through the world’s greatest water sys- breaking up several times, after a dec- BHM: If the whole world were listening, choke and stop like a clogged artery in peared in vortex Springs and has never tems. ade parts of B-15 still have not melted.] what would you tell them? a heart attack. been found. The other production is We On , we were pinned There is a small infinite amount of Are Water, which is about fresh water For more information on Jill Heinerth, inside the iceberg cave by the current. JH: My biggest passion is working toward clean fresh water on our planet, and I resources on our planet—our most pre- visit her web sites: We were at 130 feet racking up deco, water literacy, teaching people gently get to explore the limits of one of the cious resource. ■ www.IntoThePlanet.com literally crawling on the bottom as the how they are intertwined with their drink- largest windows on the underground on www.RebreatherPro.com

46 X-RAY MAG : 45 : 2011 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED