Amateur explorer reaches largest beaver dam on Earth

Amateur explorer reaches largest beaver dam on Earth
(Image credit: iStock)

If you're looking for a unique location for your next selfie spree, maybe you should take a cue from Rob Mark. An amateur explorer, Mark was the first to set foot on the world's largest beaver dam, where he snapped a selfie.

The dam, which is nearly 2,800 feet long, is in northern Alberta, Canada. Canada's CBC News reports that the dam was thought to be inaccessible until Mark, who traveled to the dam from New Jersey, arrived at the structure.

"There was a reoccurring theme that it was incredibly remote and thought to be inaccessible," Mark told CBC News. "Those two things sparked my interest, and I started doing research." He used Google Maps and topographical maps to plan a route to the dam, which was discovered in Wood Buffalo National Park in 2007, thanks to satellite photos. After arriving at Lac Clair by boat from Fort Chipewyan, Mark hiked an "incredibly difficult" 10 miles to the dam.

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"It felt like I just scored the winning goal in Game Seven. I felt incredibly proud that I actually found it and made it there," Mark told CBC News. "I was able to document this and map it in such a way that future scientists, biologists, and explorers can study this truly natural wonder." --Meghan DeMaria

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.