Blue North Scuba Club members and all interested parties are invited to attend the HHUC Inner Space Seminars and provide ideas about future guest speakers. Everyone is invited to attend these events, whether you are a member or not, whether you are affiliated with University of Toronto or not!
Please register before you come.
Jill Heinerth: Inner Space Seminar Guest Speaker
Zoom link will be emailed to those who register
Inner Space Seminar – Jan. 19, 2026, 8:30 pm, with Jill Heinerth
Hart House Underwater Club invites you to attend the first Inner Space Seminar of 2026, featuring renowned cave diver Jill Heinerth, FRCGS, D. Lit. h.c.
Everyone is welcome. It’s on Zoom. No charge.
When: Jan. 19, 2026, 8:30 pm
Where: Online – Zoom link will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.
Deadline to register: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2025 before midnight.
Registration
The Science of Cave Diving
Cave divers are an important asset to scientists exploring global climate change, archaeology, water issues and unique biology. Jill Heinerth will share stories from expeditions to faraway caves around the world from Egypt to Antarctica and Bermuda to the Bahamas. She’ll cover new technologies like augmented reality and robotic cave mapping missions that are destined to head to outer space.
About the speaker, Jill Heinerth, FRCGS, D. Lit. h.c.:
From technical dives deep inside underwater caves to being the first person to swim inside Antarctic icebergs, Jill Heinerth, a Fellow of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, collaborates with climatologists, archaeologists, biologists, and engineers worldwide. Jill has made TV programs for the CBC, BBC, National Geographic, and produced independent films. Her books Into The Planet and The Aquanaut have been lauded by diverse voices from Oprah to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Dolly Parton and a new documentary Diving Into The Darkness, celebrates her life as an explorer.
www.IntoThePlanet.com
www.DivingIntoTheDarkness.com
newsletter: https://explorersmindset.substack.com
This event is FREE of charge, on Zoom. All are invited to attend (you do not need to be a paid HHUC member).
Contact hhuc.innerspace.events@gmail.com if you have any questions.
~~ Past Events ~~
Beneath the Waves a Great Mystery Awaits of a Forgotten Shipwreck off Toronto,
with Heison Chak
Nov. 17, 2025
Ever wondered what secrets lie beneath Toronto’s waters? Find out about the recent discovery this summer of a wooden schooner and the story of turning curiosity into adventure.
Heison Chak, OUC President, Blue North Training Director, seasoned technical diver, shared the story behind a remarkable discovery beneath Toronto’s waters.
If you missed the seminar, read about it on the CBC article “Divers seeking lost shipwreck near Toronto find an even older mystery.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/lake-ontario-great-lakes-toronto-shipwreck-9.6978162
Tobermory Scuba Adventures with Kayla Martin
Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025
Tobermory Scuba Adventures
In the crystal-clear waters of Tobermory that hide hidden treasures of the past, join Kayla on her Scuba Adventures in the region. Tobermory is considered the shipwreck capital of the world. The cold fresh waters of Georgian Bay have preserved these time capsules of history beneath the waves. Imagine exploring a schooner launched in 1867, the same year Canada became a county. To a ship that was deliberately sunk, Kayla will take you on a wild adventure and awaken the explorer spirit in each of you!
Speaker bio:
Kayla Martin represents the upcoming generation of shipwreck divers and since 2014 has shared her passion at conferences across North America. She promotes preserving historic shipwrecks and low-impact diving as the Heritage Ambassador for Save Ontario Shipwrecks and serves on the board of Ontario Marine Heritage Committee.
Martin volunteers as a member of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association Dive Team and assists the Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society in creating 3D photogrammetry models. Having recently certified as a commercial diver she is now combing her passion for the underwater world while leading an expedition to document the Oliver Mowat, an intact Great Lakes schooner.
From Frozen Sediments to Interactive Models: Exploring the Anthropocene at Crawford Lake, with Jerry Zhang, Monday, Sept 29, 2025
If you missed it, check out the exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum, fall 2025
https://www.rom.on.ca/whats-on/exhibitions/crawford-lake-layers-time
Philippines diving at Tubbataha with Steven Meggeson, April 30, 2025
Steven Meggeson has been diving since 1985, and has been diving in The Cayman Islands, Curacao, Ontario, and The Philippines. Steve has been active with HHUC and Blue North Scuba Club since his re-certification in 2008. Since then, he has achieved several dive specialty certifications including Dry Suit, Wreck, Nitrox, and Rescue Diver. Steve is a NAUI Divemaster.
Steven Meggeson will be talking about his most recent trip to Tubbataha Reef, Philippines. He will be sharing some stories and videos about the liveaboard experience, the diving, and the Philippine hospitality he experienced.
Rebreather Diving with Heison Chak , April 30, 2025
Heison Chak has been diving since 2002, he enjoys wreck diving in The Great Lakes and navigating the time capsules concealed within Florida’s submerged caves. His dedication to the diving community extends to providing fundamental training for individuals aspiring to venture into technical and cave diving. He was a valued member of the 2023 NAUI Technical Subcommittee. Currently serving as the President of Ontario Underwater Council and Standards Trustee for GUE. He contributes to the growth of the diving community by channeling his efforts into shaping the next generation of leaders through his involvement with NAUI and DAN instructor training programs to nurture the skills and leadership quality of aspiring divers.
Rebreather diving has evolved over the past decade, transitioning from an exclusive pursuit for elite technical divers to one accessible to a much broader diving community. This shift has been driven by advanced training methodologies and the increasing cost and scarcity of helium, prompting new approaches. This presentation examines the reduction of entry barriers, moving from requiring experienced open-circuit technical divers to welcoming those with foundational technical skills. We will discuss how these changes enable more divers to safely explore rebreather diving within recreational depths, highlighting the implications and opportunities this advanced technology presents for the diving community.
Fish Talk with Gloria Wang, March 3, 2025
An exciting talk by an expert in Ontario fish ecology, Gloria Wang. Gloria is a PhD student studying fish communities in artificial stormwater ponds and urban streams. Her talk will focus on the surprising biodiversity of freshwater fish in novel habitats, urban ecology through a fisheye lens, stories from fieldwork, and plenty of fish pictures and underwater videos! This seminar is open to all.
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2024 Inner Space Seminars
Kayla Martin, an environmental scientist at University of Waterloo, and a heritage ambassador for Save Ontario Shipwrecks, presented her seminar on her exciting work exploring the wreck of the Oliver Mowat. It was an excellent presentation highlighting Martin’s work with photogrammetry. She is passionate about creating photogrammetry documentation of all the wrecks of the Great Lakes before time and quagga mussels damage the integrity of our maritime history. Quite exciting to see the new generation of young diving explorers in action! Thank you Kayla Martin for taking the lead on this important endeavor.
Underwater 3D Photogrammetry Course with Kayla Martin, Oct. 2024
Join Kayla Martin as she explains the basics of underwater 3D Photogrammetry and how it is being applied to historic shipwrecks.
This is a 3-part course including two online sessions with handouts provided, and one hands-on data-capturing pool session at the Athletic Centre Pool.
Max class size: 12 HHUC certified scuba divers.
- Part One: Online Session on Photogrammetry, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, 7:00 – 9:00 pm on Zoom.
- Part Two: Hands-On Pool Session Capturing Data, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, 9:00 – 11:00 pm at the Athletic Centre Pool, U of T.
- Part Three: Online Session on How to Process the Model, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, 7:00 – 9:00 pm on Zoom.
Wreck of the Oliver Mowat: The Race Against Time, with Kayla Martin, Oct. 9, 2024.
Kayla Martin lead team members, Jill Heinerth and Charlotte Pilon-McCullough, to explore the three-masted schooner, the Oliver Mowat, in the waters of Prince Edward County region of eastern Ontario. The Oliver Mowat was considered the crown jewel of the Millhaven shipyards when launched in 1873 and her career lasted 48 years, representing the last of the era of wind and sail. Lost in 1921 and re-found in 1996, the wreck was kept secret for its protection. Discover this amazing wreck with Kayla Martin and her team as part of a 2023 Royal Canadian Geographical Society Flag Expedition.
Inner Space Seminars
Inner Space Seminars with Heison Chak, OUC President & Blue North Training Director
Blue North Training Director and OUC President, Heison Chak, was the guest speaker for three Inner Space Seminars this winter, hosted by HHUC Social Director, Catherine Zhang and her team of enthusiastic planners. Heison provided interesting facts and information on diving safely and extending our enjoyment of the underwater world. Watch for more seminars in the Fall of 2024.
- Gas Planning & Management with Heison Chak, Wednesday, April 3, 2024
- Understanding Technical Diving with Heison Chak, Friday, March 22, 2024
- Recreational Dive Safety with Heison Chak, Thursday, March 7, 2024
Inner Space Seminars, Spring 2024: “Immerse yourself in the world of technical diving with Heison Chak, President of the Ontario Underwater Council. Discover the potential to elevate your diving expertise beyond recreational boundaries. Gain insight into advanced diving techniques and safety protocols, and uncover the excitement of venturing into underwater realms beyond traditional limits.”
Blue North Scuba Club 