Jill is the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and is the recipient of the Governor General's Polar Medal. As a pioneer of technical rebreather diving, she has led expeditions into icebergs in Antarctica, volcanic lava tubes, and submerged caves worldwide.
Jill is a Fellow of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Divers Hall of Fame, and the Explorers Club, which awarded her with the William Beebe Award for ocean exploration.
Her memoir, Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver, has been lauded by the Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and the New York Times. Her children’s book, The Aquanaut, is a Blue-Ribbon Selection for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Jill's recent film, Under Thin Ice, shares important lessons about climate change and can be seen on The Nature of Things on CBC.