Hanli Prinsloo: Ocean Conservation

Hanli Prinsloo is a Record-breaking freediver, ocean conservationist, and keynote storyteller inspiring courage, connection, and purposeful leadership.

Highlights:
  • Record-breaking freediver with multiple South African national records
  • Founder of I AM WATER, empowering youth and driving marine conservation
  • Expert in resilience, fear management, and human potential under extreme pressure
  • Blends adventure storytelling with leadership and environmental advocacy
  • Acclaimed speaker at global conferences, corporate summits, and conservation events

Formats:

Keynote presentations (30–60 minutes), leadership workshops, environmental advocacy talks


Audience:

Corporate leaders, sustainability advocates, conservation organizations, and teams seeking inspiration rooted in resilience and purposeful action


Outcomes:
  1. Tools for reframing fear and uncertainty into growth opportunities
  2. Practical lessons on resilience, adaptability, and mindful leadership
  3. Renewed awareness of environmental responsibility and human connection
Reviews: (5 reviews)
5/5
  • Travels from: Cape Town, SA
  • **Fee range: $10,001 - $20,000

Keynote Topics

Topics covered (or a selection) in a keynote speech, told through anecdotes with spellbinding visual elements:

  • The human connection to the ocean / nature
  • Competitive career, failure vs. success
  • Overcoming limiting assumptions but respecting limitations
  • Fear and our relationship with it
  • Mental strength – we are not our thoughts
  • Near death experience underwater
  • Finding purpose and meaning (and what is that?)
  • The importance of the ocean on human life on earth
  • Our effect on the ocean (and no, it’s not just about plastic!)
  • Finding hope in what seems like desperate times

Talent Short Bio

Hanli Prinsloo is a globally recognized storyteller, conservationist, and record-breaking freediver whose work explores the intersections of freedom, fear, and purposeful living. Known for her breathtaking underwater experiences with sharks, manta rays, and whales, Hanli translates these encounters into powerful lessons on courage, resilience, and environmental responsibility.

Holding multiple South African national freediving records, Hanli has spent her career pushing human boundaries while advocating for the planet. She founded the I AM WATER project, dedicated to ocean conservation and youth education, demonstrating her commitment to sustainability and community impact.

Hanli’s speaking engagements combine captivating visuals with deeply personal storytelling, leaving audiences with actionable insights into fear management, connection, and mindful leadership. Her presentations resonate across corporate, leadership, and environmental platforms, inspiring attendees to embrace uncertainty, harness inner potential, and lead with purpose.

Hanli Prinsloo is not just a speaker; she is a storyteller, a conservationist, and a record-breaking freediver whose life’s work resonates with the core of human experience freedom, fear, and purposeful living. Her compelling narratives are not merely tales but life lessons drawn from the deep, where she swims alongside some of the ocean’s most magnificent creatures.

As a speaker, Hanli captivates her audiences, taking them on a vivid journey from record-breaking dives to intimate encounters with great sharks and graceful manta rays. Her presentations are a blend of breathtaking imagery, heart-stopping moments, and profound insights into the connection between human potential and the natural world.

With a background that spans competitive freediving, where she holds multiple South African national records, Hanli’s expertise extends beyond the sport into the realms of ocean conservation and mindfulness. Her initiatives, such as the ‘I AM WATER’ project, underscore her commitment to protecting marine environments and educating underserved youth about ocean conservation.

Hanli’s unique blend of adventure and advocacy brings a fresh perspective to environmental issues, making her a sought-after speaker at global conservation and corporate leadership events. Her ability to connect with her audience on a personal level, sharing stories of vulnerability and triumph, cements her status as a luminary in both the environmental and motivational speaking circuits.

Moreover, Hanli’s speeches are tailored to inspire action. Each talk concludes with actionable insights that encourage audiences to take definitive steps towards personal growth and environmental stewardship. Her global recognition and credibility, built through years of advocacy and record-setting achievements, add an unmatched level of authenticity and inspiration to your event.

Hanli Prinsloo is more than just a freediver; she is a visionary who dives into the fundamental questions of life, offering her audiences a unique perspective on what it means to live purposefully and fearlessly. Her talks are not only about the depths of the oceans but also about diving deep into the human spirit to explore what truly drives us.

Hanli Prinsloo speaks with animation & passion…… about freedom, fear, risk and PURPOSEFUL living.

Stories of swimming alongside tiger sharks, to what it takes to communicate with a sperm whale or the grace of giant manta rays adds to the journey the audience is taken on. Hanli Prinsloo visual material from the underwater realm combined with her vibrant storytelling captures the imagination and inspires audiences of all ages and walks of life.’

View All Speakers and follow us on Twitter

Talent Videos

Hanli Prinsloo – Learning to Trust Yourself Through Freediving

In this 1-minute keynote clip, Hanli Prinsloo shares how freediving taught her the hardest lesson of all: trusting herself and her body’s innate wisdom.

Summary

Hanli Prinsloo introduces herself not by listing achievements, but by demonstrating what’s possible: diving to 65 meters on one breath and holding her breath for six minutes. She clarifies that she shares this not to impress but to inspire, highlighting freediving as a sport of pushing human limits with nothing more than a single breath.

She then shifts to the theme of trust. While most people think of trust as something external—trusting others or grappling with betrayal—Hanli reflects that the hardest lesson she has learned is to trust herself. Freediving, she explains, required her to place confidence in her own body, to believe that she was “born to do this” and that her body knew what to do underwater.

Hanli closes with a reminder that our bodies carry deep memory, including the “little swimmer” still within us. By trusting that memory and reconnecting with it, we can return to water, to flow, and to our true potential.

Key Moments

00:00 Introduction: 65m dive on one breath and 6-minute static breath-hold
00:15 Freediving as inspiration, not just achievement
00:30 Redefining trust: from external reliance to internal self-belief
00:50 Freediving’s hardest lesson—trusting her own body and instincts
01:05 Closing insight: reconnecting with the “little swimmer” within us

In this 1-minute feature, the Ocean Guardians program empowers grade seven students from coastal communities to connect with the ocean, overcome fear, and build confidence.

Summary

This short video highlights the Ocean Guardians workshops, an initiative inspired by the vision to connect coastal communities with the ocean so they can fall in love with it and protect it. The program is designed to give underserved youth direct, positive experiences with the marine environment, helping them overcome fear and discover new confidence.

The workshops bring grade seven students from local schools to the beach for two days. On the first day, participants visit a tidal pool to explore in a safe, contained environment. On the second day, they are introduced to one of South Africa’s pristine marine protected areas, where they learn the value of conservation through hands-on experiences.

Workshops include three stations: rocky shore exploration, a beach cleanup, and snorkeling. Many of the children have never been in the ocean, and some cannot swim, but through supportive mentorship they learn to float, snorkel, and engage with the ocean. By stepping out of their comfort zones, participants leave with not only new skills but also the belief that they can achieve more than they thought possible.

The video closes with testimonials from children who describe their excitement at snorkeling for the first time, their appreciation for the experience, and their newfound love for the ocean. The ultimate goal of the program is to turn fear into love, and love into long-term stewardship.

Key Moments

00:00 Program vision: connecting coastal communities with the ocean
00:10 Students express nervousness and fear of water
00:20 Ocean Guardians workshops explained: two days, tidal pool and marine protected area
00:35 Three activity stations: rocky shores, beach cleanup, snorkeling
00:50 Outcomes: overcoming fear, building confidence, inspiring love for the ocean
00:55 Student testimonials: first-time snorkeling, floating, and gratitude

In this 1-minute cinematic teaser, Hanli Prinsloo captures the essence of freediving through serene visuals with dolphins—an immersive metaphor for trust, presence, and connection with the deep.

Summary

Although the full transcript isn’t available, this video serves as a visual and emotional introduction to Hanli’s message: freediving isn’t just a physical feat, it’s a practice in trust, flow, and immersion.

The footage, showing Hanli diving with dolphins, symbolizes harmony, presence, and the deep bonds between humans and the ocean. The imagery alone conveys themes of courage, connection, and mindfulness under pressure.

Key Moments

00:00–00:15 Opening visuals: underwater entry and graceful movements
00:15–00:45 Encounter with dolphins: elegant, flowing interactions
00:45–01:00 Transition to deeper underwater shots: Hanli in motion, calm and centered
01:00–01:14 Closing frame: stillness, reflection, and an invitation to dive deeper—figuratively and literally

Interest to Book? Send us your enquiry

Speaker Contact Form

Enquiry Form

Talent FAQ's

A: Yes—her storytelling translates seamlessly into leadership, teamwork, and resilience frameworks.

A: Yes—Hanli offers both live and virtual keynote presentations with stunning visual storytelling.

A: Leadership, fear management, resilience, ocean conservation, and purposeful living.

Talent Resources

Talent resources available for download

In order to view the below you must be logged in.

  • Powerpoint Slide – For meeting and event planners
  • Gallery Images
  • High Resolution Images
  • PDF Files
  • Books and Magazine Links
  • Music List
  • Podcast Shows
  • Courses
  • + more

Talent FAQ

A: Yes—her storytelling translates seamlessly into leadership, teamwork, and resilience frameworks.

A: Yes—Hanli offers both live and virtual keynote presentations with stunning visual storytelling.

A: Leadership, fear management, resilience, ocean conservation, and purposeful living.

View further speakers

  • (23)
speakers inc

For over 20 years, comedian and speaker David Ferrell has shown audiences that comedy can be clean and funny! Three-time nominee for Inspirational Comedian of the Year by ICM Awards As Heard on Sirius/XM “Laugh USA” Named one of five “Hot Acts in America” by Event Solutions Magazine In addition to his uproarious tales about everyday life, David delights […]

  • Travels from: Simpsonville, SC
  • Motivational Speakers
  • (18)
PartyLikeaMotha

PartyLikeaMotha has been DJ’n for over 10 years, formally known as ‘Wendi Cakes’ but now I go by the name PartyLikeaMotha. She has gone on tour with POP group sensation, Far East Movement better known for their hit single “Fly like a G6”. She was also a resident DJ for TAO group for many years […]

  • Travels from: Las Vegas, NV
  • Mobile DJ
  • (13)
Shayla-Rivera-1

Shayla Rivera is a remarkable fusion of intellect, humor, and inspiration. Transitioning from a successful career as a NASA aerospace engineer to becoming an international keynote speaker, comedian, and educator, she exemplifies the power of adaptability and passion. Her journey from the technical corridors of NASA to the dynamic stages of motivational speaking and comedy […]

  • Travels from: Austin, TX
  • STEM Speakers
  • (73)
Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal

Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal, MD, is a clinician-educator and Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. He sees patients and teaches medical students and residents in the emergency department, inpatient wards, and outpatient clinic at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, where he directs the internal medicine clerkship. He studies, writes, and speaks […]

  • Travels from: San Francisco, CA
  • Healthcare Speakers
  • (29)
  • (3)

Amy McWhirter is a high-energy, charismatic event emcee known for her exceptional ability to connect with audiences and bring events to life. Whether hosting live, virtual, or hybrid events, Amy’s warmth, professionalism, and impeccable preparation make her a standout choice for corporate conferences, product launches, awards shows, and more. Amy McWhirter is not just an […]

  • Travels from: Chicago, IL
  • Event Emcee
  • (26)
  • (2)
Hoan Do

Hoan Do is an award-winning inspirational speaker, author, and a city finalist on NBC’s hit show, American Ninja Warrior. Known for his engaging and impactful presentations, Hoan has dedicated his career to empowering young people to overcome obstacles, embrace challenges, and create momentum in their lives. His book, Creating Momentum in Your Life, has inspired […]

  • Travels from: Seattle, WA
  • College Speakers
  • (106)
Gautam Mukunda

Gautam Mukunda is an internationally recognized expert in leadership and innovation. He often jokes that his life’s ambition is to have the world’s most confusing resume and that he’s most of the way there. He is a Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. He is also the host of Nasdaq’s […]

  • Travels from: Boston, MA
  • Leadership Speakers
  • (15)
Kate Vitasek-3

Kate Vitasek is a distinguished authority in collaborative business relationships, renowned for her pioneering work in transforming traditional business models into cooperative partnerships that drive innovation and mutual success. Her groundbreaking “Vested” business model has redefined how organizations approach outsourcing and strategic alliances, emphasizing a “What’s-in-it-for-We” philosophy that fosters shared value and long-term sustainability. Recognized […]

  • Travels from: Seattle, WA
  • Culture Speakers
Disclaimer
The profiles and images embedded on these pages are from various conference entertainers and other talent.

These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Speakers Inc.

Fee ranges where listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only.

All talent fees exclude VAT, travel and accommodation where required.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get connected:

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated.

We use Brevo as our marketing platform. By submitting this form you agree that the personal data you provided will be transferred to Brevo for processing in accordance with Brevo's Privacy Policy.

Our Mission:

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2025.  Designed using Voxel

Speakers Inc Logo 2024
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.