Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver

Underwater explorer and documentary filmmaker Heinerth vividly depicts the extraordinary aquatic vistas she’s discovered in this immersive memoir. Blending sport, science, education, and adventure, Heinerth balances technical information on the challenges of cave diving with her personal story of grit and determination. Hoping to “face challenges with fierce will and optimism,” Heinerth left a high-paying job in Toronto for the Cayman Islands to work as a diving instructor. She earned her certification as a cave diver and, in 1995, joined an expedition to Huautla, Mexico, to explore one of the world’s deepest caves. From there, she participated in a 1998 project in Wakulla Springs, Fla., where she was part of a team that mapped 42,000 feet of passages. As part of a National Geographic trip, she led a 2001 expedition to Antarctica, becoming a member of the first dive team to swim and film the caves of an iceberg. Throughout, Heinerth powerfully recreates the exhilaration of staking out “the longest underwater cave system in the world,” in the Yucatan, and living with the fear of equipment malfunctions and the constant threat of death. Heinert’s well-paced, informative memoir provides a thrill ride into unfamiliar worlds. (Aug.)