The goal of any expedition, of course, is to encounter a shark – or something reminiscent of one. On the Flying Canoe Mississippi River adventure, Aaron and I  saw some river otters, which – although technically not sharks – are fascinating animals that inspired us to remember that we humans are land mammals and we often forget to think more deeply about the biodiversity of this plane. Seeing a shark is always very exciting because they look kind of like water dinosaurs (which, in fact, they are) and make seeds of awe and wonder sprout within our brains as we remember creatures of the past and how small we are in comparison.

Also sharks just look really cool and many of them swim fast and have super sharp teeth, which is pretty awesome. I am hoping to see a shark in Costa Rica and/or Panama with Outward Bound, but I will of course settle for a nice tropical bird or a lovely jungle waterfall, which will also encourage me to contemplate the beauty of earth and my existence here.

If you have ever encountered a shark in the ocean (or a RIVER! Did you know they swim in freshwater too?) or you have the desire to do so, I would love to hear more about that or see a picture – tweet @vogelian, email kvogel.esq@gmail.com, comment on this post. If you are currently located inland like in Minnesota and may not see a shark for some time, I recommend visiting the National Geographic shark photo gallery (click here) or watching Shark week on Netflix to get your fix. Cheers to sharks and adventures.