Exploration

Episode 100: Diving into the Darkness with Jill Heinerth

Episode 100

A breathtaking conversation with the world-renowned explorer, from the making of her award-winning documentary and diving in the Antarctic to facing life-threatening situations and the impact of climate change on diving

  • Mar 18, 2025
Jill Heinerth swims through the roots of trees penetrating through limestone in Mexico. (Photo ©www.DivingIntotheDarkness.com)
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In this milestone 100th episode of the Explore Podcast, host David McGuffin welcomes back world-renowned cave diver and RCGS Explorer-in-Residence Jill Heinerth

Explore Podcast host David McGuffin and Jill Heinerth after recording the second episode of the Explore Podcast in March 2019. (Photo courtesy David McGuffin)
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This episode dives into Heinerth’s experiences, including her new, award-winning documentary Diving into the Darkness, her extraordinary career in underwater exploration and the risks and rewards of diving. Heinerth discusses her Antarctic expeditions, her struggle with decompression sickness, and the evolution of her exploration philosophy over the years. The conversation also touches on the challenges of making documentaries in the current media environment, the impact of climate change narratives and the importance of valuing and understanding our natural world. Additionally, Heinerth emphasizes the need for flexibility, multi-skilling and ethical exploration in today’s changing world. 

To learn more about her documentary, visit divingintothedarkness.com

Jill Heinerth, in her first Explore Podcast interview, Episode 2, March 2019, in the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Reading Room at the RCGS headquarters at 50 Sussex Dr. (Photo courtesy David McGuffin)
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Diving "The Pit" in Mexico, a multi-layer cenote where Jill Heinerth and her partner discovered a deep cave system that was previously unknown. (Photo ©www.DivingIntotheDarkness.com)
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Diving in a cave in Mexico, where shots were taken to recreate earlier events in Heinerth's life. (Photo ©www.DivingIntotheDarkness.com)
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