As we drove out of Ottawa and into the remote farmlands of Westmeath, my nerves were on edge. It wasn’t often that I found myself at a loss for words, but this was one of those rare moments. The mix of anticipation, excitement, and a hint of insecurity was almost overwhelming. They say you should never meet your heroes, but here I was, about to meet one of mine—Jill Heinerth, a legend in the world of cave diving. The prospect of spending a few days learning about her world had me feeling like a fan-girl, though I was determined not to show it.
Jill and I had been in touch for months, exchanging emails and messages while she wrapped up filming her latest documentary which details her life’s work—exploring some of the world’s most dangerous and complex cave systems. When we realized our paths would cross as we traveled through Ontario, I knew I couldn’t miss the chance to meet her in person. Despite that advice of steering clear of your heroes, I threw caution to the wind and rerouted our journey. We had devised a rough plan: to explore the Ottawa River, learn about the complex caves Jill was navigating, and soak in her vast knowledge. But I knew there would be so much more to Jill than just cave diving. She is one of those rare people whose lived experiences are so extraordinary that they reshape how you see the world.
As we pulled up to Cheryl Spotswood’s riverfront house, I was immediately struck by the warmth of our welcome. Cheryl, Jill’s close friend and collaborator, and her partner Cathy greeted us like old friends—handing us home-made pancakes doused with Canadian maple syrup. Jill had maintained the same demeanor I’d grown accustomed to through our virtual conversations: soft-spoken, incredibly knowledgeable, and deeply humble. Cheryl and Cathy were larger-than-life characters—full of wit and a zest for life that was infectious. They affectionately called their home the “Moonlady Haven,” with a kitchen table covered with maps of the Ottawa River and its cave system, painstakingly charted over 15 years by Dr. David Sawatzky, another of Jill’s collaborators.
From the moment we stepped into Moonlady Haven, I was in awe. These women had lived extraordinary lives, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit out of my depths here. It reminded me of the time I met Meg Lowman, the pioneering canopy scientist, who also was kind enough to open up her world to us. Cheryl and Jill were about to take us out to show us their version of the Ottawa River, bridging us as close as we could get to the cave entrances and the vibrant ecosystem hidden beneath the surface. Now you might suspect at this point that our story is bound to involve some epic cave diving with an industry pioneer. That was not in the plan I mentioned above: these caves were far too dangerous to comfortably explore, unless you’re among the most experienced of cave divers. However, just being among these legends was good enough for me.
Jill has been solo diving for years and prefers it this way because, as she told us, most of her close calls had actually come when diving with others. This was a stark contrast to how I typically dive, always attached to Marla, my dive buddy, who was the one to introduce me to Jill's work in the first place. Jill’s approach to diving was eye-opening, showing me a different way to explore the underwater world, one I might aspire to after much, much more training and experience.
Jill’s truck was filled to the brim with scuba gear, and it was unlike anything I’d seen before. The truck bed itself seemed to defy physics with its endless expanse of gadgets and equipment, even including an inflatable boat. It was every diver’s dream, and I was standing there, blank faced, marveling at this masterfully curated collection. As we made our way out to the river, Cheryl and Jill began an epic narrative about the waterway we were to lightly experience. They talked about its significance, the threats it faced, and the work they were doing to protect it. Jill’s attention to the smallest of detail was apparent as we snorkeled around the cave entrances and along the riverbed. She picked up specimens, explaining them with ease, her passion shining through in every word. For someone without a PhD, her scientific knowledge was staggering. She had spent her life in the field, working alongside some of the world’s most respected scientists, but her love for discovery was that of an artist—someone who saw beauty in the little things that many would overlook.
As we snorkeled, our faces practically buried in the mud, we examined bivalves, bugs, fossils—anything that caught our eye. In this exploratory moment, I felt a connection to Jill in our shared love for the thrill of what I like to call "the find." Jill and I seem to share a childlike obsession with discovering creatures and artifacts, the treasures others might brush off as unimportant. This sort of “find” can come in the form of diving river beds in South Carolina for shark teeth or expeditions to the beach at 4:00am to see what's washed up on shore from the night prior. Whereas usually I embark on these sort of early morning adventures alone, as no one really seeks out that kind of wake up call, I had a feeling, someone like Jill would eagerly jump at that sort of adventure.
We made several stops along the river, examining the ripping current (that made this location a challenging one to dive even on a good day,) searching for more artifacts, and simply taking in the untouched beauty of a place few humans have explored. Each discovery felt like peeling back another layer of this incredible ecosystem, revealing its secrets one by one, and those of Jill herself for that matter. As we hit the half day mark, Cheryl and Jill took us on a hike through dense forest, following the paths Jill uses to reach the cave openings. The sheer physicality of her work hit me then. Jill hauls her gear through thick bush, making multiple trips to these remote sites before kitting up and diving solo for hours in complete darkness, raging current, in places that are entirely uncharted by others, using the most advanced diving gear out there. This was hard core, there’s no other way to describe it.
Back at Moonlady Haven, we settled in for lunch on the deck overlooking the river—homemade burgers, hotdogs, and my all-time favorite, broccoli salad. It was the first home-cooked meal we’d had in months, maybe even a full year, and the comfort of it was undeniable. Despite the sweltering heat, the beauty of our surroundings made it easy to enjoy the moment. As we ate, our conversation flowed from politics to the challenges of being openly gay in a less accepting era. Cheryl and Cathy shared stories with the wisdom of a life well-lived, and I felt deeply honored to be in their presence. These women, both in their late 60s and early 70s, were bursting with life, full of stories, and still very much in tune with the youthful spirit of those around them. We talked about Jill’s return to Canada, giving up her hard-earned U.S. citizenship, and what that meant for her.
Learning about the Ottawa River and Jill’s experiences as a cave diver was incredible, but what moved me most was the way these women opened their lives up to us. I left Moonlady Haven wanting to hold onto this moment, to remember how they made me feel—welcomed, appreciated, and craving more adventure. The biggest lesson I took away was the importance of women supporting each other, sharing their stories, and passing on their wisdom to the next generation, and not keeping it trapped away or hidden.
I don’t know if I’ll ever see Jill again in person, but I do know that I’ll be following her journey closely no matter where in the world we both are. Few women inspire the next generation of ocean explorers the way she does. Meeting her, face down in a riverbed, confirmed everything I hoped was true—she’s the real deal. In the weeks that followed, as I faced my own challenges in the water, pushing my limits and confronting the fears that inevitably come with such an extreme sport, I kept asking myself, “What would Jill do?” That thought carried me further than I ever thought possible, reminding me that the greatest adventures are the ones that take us beyond our limits, dive us into darkness, and force us to face our fears head-on, just as Jill has always done.
The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
