Hanli Prinsloo: Ocean Conservation
Freediver and keynote speaker Hanli Prinsloo inspires courageous leadership and purposeful living through powerful stories of fear mastery, ocean conservation, and human potential.
- Highlights:
- Record holding South African freediver
- Founder of I AM WATER, focused on ocean conservation and youth education
- Global keynote speaker on courage, resilience, and purpose
- Advocate for environmental responsibility and mindful leadership
- Formats:
Keynote speaker, conservation storyteller, and experiential facilitator
- Audiences:
Corporate leaders, teams, educators, and organizations navigating change, risk, and sustainability
- Outcomes:
- Tools for managing fear and staying calm under pressure
- Greater clarity around purpose, resilience, and mindful leadership
- Renewed sense of responsibility toward people and the planet
- Travels from: Cape Town, SA
- **Fee range: $10,001 - $20,000
Keynote Topics
Topics Covered
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 freediver, conservationist, and storyteller whose work explores the intersection of fear, freedom, and purposeful living. Holding multiple South African national freediving records, Hanli has spent her career pushing human limits while developing a profound respect for the natural world.
Her extraordinary underwater encounters with sharks, manta rays, and whales form the foundation of her speaking, translating high risk environments into lessons on resilience, trust, and calm under pressure. These experiences are not about adrenaline but about presence, humility, and connection, qualities increasingly essential in leadership and organizational life.
Hanli is the founder of I AM WATER, an ocean conservation and youth education initiative that uses immersive experiences to foster environmental stewardship and personal growth. Through this work, she demonstrates a deep commitment to sustainability, education, and community impact.
As a keynote speaker, Hanli combines breathtaking visuals with deeply personal storytelling. Her talks resonate across corporate, leadership, and environmental platforms, leaving audiences with practical insights into fear management, mindful decision making, and leading with purpose in uncertain conditions.
Read Full Bio
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.’
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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.
Read Summary & Key Moments
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
Ocean Guardians – Inspiring Coastal Youth Through Conservation and Confidence
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.
Read Summary & Key Moments
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
Dolphin Teaser - Hanli Prinsloo
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.
Read Summary & Key Moments
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
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Overview of User Reviews for Hanli Prinsloo's Keynote Presentation
Hanli Prinsloo's keynote presentations have garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees, highlighting her exceptional storytelling ability and profound impact on audience engagement. Reviewers praise her infectious passion for environmental issues, which enhances the awareness of sustainability among participants. Her skill in connecting with diverse audiences is noted as a significant strength, effectively transforming perceptions of risk and inspiring personal reflection.
Key strengths include:
- Engaging storytelling that intertwines personal experiences with business insights.
- A transformative approach that resonates deeply with leaders and professionals.
- The ability to foster a sense of presence and purpose among attendees.
While the reviews are predominantly positive, a common theme is the emotional intensity of her presentations, which may leave some attendees feeling overwhelmed. However, the overall consensus is that Hanli's sessions are powerful and thought-provoking, making them a worthwhile experience for any corporate event.
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Keynote speeches typically range from 30 to 90 minutes, with the duration determined by the speaker’s expertise, the event’s agenda, and audience preferences. Keynote speeches often include a combination of inspirational stories, practical insights, and actionable advice tailored to the event’s theme or objectives.
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