Quark Expeditions
Encyclopedia
Quark Expeditions was founded in 1991 by Lars Wikander and Mike McDowell, specializing in expeditions to the Arctic
and Antarctic
aboard purpose-built expedition vessels. In 1998, Lars Wikander became the majority owner of the company.
Three years later Lars became Chairman of the Board, when Patrick Shaw joined the company as President and Chief Executive Officer. On May 1, 2007, Quark Expeditions became part of the UK-based TUI Travel
PLC Group of Companies.
.
Quark has the largest and most diverse fleet of passenger vessels in the Antarctic. Within that fleet is the only helicopter-equipped, polar-class icebreaker outfitted for expeditions in Antarctic waters, the Kapitan Khlebnikov.
The fleet enables Quark to operate the widest variety of polar itineraries of any other adventure company in the world, and the greatest number of departures to Antarctica.
In the March 2006 edition, Outside Magazine named the “Emperor Penguin Safari” as one of the New Trips of a Lifetime.
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
and Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
aboard purpose-built expedition vessels. In 1998, Lars Wikander became the majority owner of the company.
Three years later Lars became Chairman of the Board, when Patrick Shaw joined the company as President and Chief Executive Officer. On May 1, 2007, Quark Expeditions became part of the UK-based TUI Travel
TUI Travel
TUI Travel PLC is a FTSE 250 international leisure travel group listed on the London Stock Exchange. It was formed on 3 September 2007 by the merger of First Choice Holidays PLC and the Tourism Division of TUI AG, which owns 55.09% of the company, operating in 180 countries and serving 30m...
PLC Group of Companies.
Polar Fleet
Quark's Arctic fleet includes 2 polar-class icebreakers: the nuclear powered 50 Years of Victory and the diesel powered Kapitan Khlebnikov, purpose-built to navigate the frozen waters of the Russian Arctic. Each icebreaker is equipped with helicopters and Zodiacs, enabling travel to remote locations that other vessels in the Arctic cannot, including the North PoleNorth Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
.
Quark has the largest and most diverse fleet of passenger vessels in the Antarctic. Within that fleet is the only helicopter-equipped, polar-class icebreaker outfitted for expeditions in Antarctic waters, the Kapitan Khlebnikov.
The fleet enables Quark to operate the widest variety of polar itineraries of any other adventure company in the world, and the greatest number of departures to Antarctica.
Quark Firsts
The company was the first to transit the Northeast Passage with commercial passengers; the first to take travelers to the “far side” of Antarctica and the first to circumnavigate the Antarctic continent with guests, twice.Recognitions
In October 2006 and 2007, Quark was named a recipient of National Geographic Traveler’s “50 Tours of a Lifetime” for their “Emperor Penguin Safari” and the “Far Side” respectively.In the March 2006 edition, Outside Magazine named the “Emperor Penguin Safari” as one of the New Trips of a Lifetime.