We came to New England with great white sharks at the center of our plans, but we left with something much bigger.

Our Higher Calling Wildlife® expedition through New England opened doors for young people, created relationships with some incredible people in the shark world and established something we believe will continue for years to come.

Higher Calling Wildlife will be back.

We have now established New England as another region where we can conduct expeditions and outreach, connecting young people with wildlife and putting them face-to-face with people doing extraordinary work in research, conservation and education.

And what a first expedition it was.

My wife Lisa, daughter Faith and I began the journey by traveling into Maine and experiencing its rugged Atlantic coastline. For someone like me who has spent years studying and writing about great white sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, seeing the northern reaches of great white country was fascinating.

But the heart of this trip was outreach.

Marina Wilson joined us on Cape Cod as the first recipient of our Gulf Great White Shark Society scholarship. Marina has an interest in marine biology, wildlife law enforcement and shark conservation, and we wanted to do more than tell her to follow those dreams.

We wanted to put her around people who are actually doing the work.

That happened in a huge way.

We spent time with our friends at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and its Shark Center in Chatham, one of the most exciting places anywhere for people interested in great white sharks.

A major highlight was spending time with AWSC Chief Scientist Dr. Megan Winton. Megan has been a tremendous friend to our efforts, and giving Marina an opportunity to spend time around a scientist working directly with the animals she is so passionate about was exactly the kind of connection we hoped this expedition would provide.

We also had an incredible opportunity to visit Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where Laura McDonnell gave us a look into the world of ocean science and research. Getting Marina and Faith inside a place with such a remarkable legacy of ocean exploration and discovery was another special part of the journey.

Then we got to spend time with Dr. Greg Skomal, one of the cutting-edge leaders in modern great white shark research.

Greg’s work has helped transform our understanding of great whites in the Northwest Atlantic, and getting an opportunity to talk sharks, research and conservation with him was tremendous. We even got to hold an incredible great white shark jaw during our visit.

Those are the kinds of moments that can take something a young person has read about, watched in documentaries or dreamed about and suddenly make it real.

Another special stop was the Living Sharks Museum in Westerly, Rhode Island, where founder and curator Keith Cowley gave us an incredible look at shark history and culture.

For me, seeing original pieces connected to Frank Mundus and his famous boat, the Cricket II, was especially fascinating. Mundus occupies a unique place in shark history, and standing in front of those artifacts while traveling through the same part of the country where so much of that history unfolded added another dimension to the expedition.

There was plenty of shark science, history and adventure packed into this trip.

But one of the most meaningful parts centered on a young Massachusetts boy named Hunter Fitz.

Hunter has already shown an extraordinary passion for sharks and conservation, including raising money to support the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. We met Hunter and his family at the Shark Center and presented him with our Gulf Great White Shark Society Youth Award along with a special package of shark gifts we put together just for him.

Seeing his reaction made all the planning and effort worthwhile.

We called Hunter a world changer.

We meant it.

And our relationship with Hunter didn’t end when we handed him an award.

Hunter is now part of our program.

We’re excited about encouraging him, helping fuel his passion for sharks and conservation and hopefully providing him with some special wildlife experiences in the future.

That is what Higher Calling Wildlife is about.

Marina and Hunter came into this expedition from different places, but both illustrate what we’re trying to accomplish. We want to identify young people with a passion for wildlife, encourage them, give them experiences they might never otherwise have and put them around people who can show them what is possible.

Wildlife changed the direction of my life when I was young.

Now we have the opportunity to use it to impact another generation.

There will be much more coming at GulfGreatWhites.com about the shark side of our journey. I’ll be sharing more about the people we met, what we learned and the incredible story of great whites in this part of the Atlantic.

But Higher Calling Wildlife is what we do this through.

It’s how we take wildlife adventures, relationships and opportunities and turn them into something that can impact young people.

And none of it happens without people who believe in what we’re doing.

To everyone who donated toward this expedition, prayed for us, shared our fundraising efforts, encouraged us or helped behind the scenes, thank you.

You helped put Marina in front of scientists and conservationists doing the kind of work she dreams about doing.

You helped us put an award in Hunter’s hands, give him a special package of gifts and tell him that what he’s doing matters.

You helped us visit the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and spend time with Dr. Megan Winton. You helped us get Marina and Faith inside Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution with Laura McDonnell. You helped us spend time with Dr. Greg Skomal and experience the Living Sharks Museum with Keith Cowley.

Most importantly, you helped us establish relationships that won’t end with this trip.

We plan to return to New England and build more Higher Calling Wildlife opportunities here.

Our mission is to use wildlife encounters and experiences to bring encouragement, hope and the love of Christ to young people. We want kids to experience the wonder of God’s creation, meet people doing great things and understand they can do great things themselves.

Sometimes that happens in the mountains of Wyoming.

Sometimes it happens along the Texas coast.

And now it happens in great white country.

Lisa, Faith and I came away incredibly grateful for Marina, Hunter and their families and for everyone who opened doors for us along the way.

We’re also deeply grateful for those of you who helped us get there.

When you support Higher Calling Wildlife, this is what you’re supporting.

You’re helping us open doors for kids, create experiences they will never forget and encourage young people to pursue their dreams and use their lives for something bigger than themselves.

This wasn’t just our expedition.

You were part of it.

And God willing, this was only the beginning of what Higher Calling Wildlife will do in New England.

Chester Moore

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Email Chester at chester@chestermoore.com.

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