Quark Expeditions will resume polar voyages to Antarctica in November

Quark Expeditions has confirmed it will resume polar voyages to Antarctica in November, starting with the inaugural voyage of its new vessel Ultramarine. Quark Expeditions is one of the first polar operators to return to the Antarctic.

While many itineraries in Quark Expeditions’ Antarctic 21/22 season have sold out already, cabins are still available on two voyages:

Essential Patagonia: Chilean Fjords and Torres del Paine: Retrace Charles Darwin’s epic voyage to the “edge of the world” on a 15-day journey into Chile’s spectacular network of fjords and channels.

Retrace Charles Darwin’s epic voyage to the ‘edge of the world’ on our Essential Patagonia: Chilean Fjords and Torres del Paine expedition, a comprehensive journey into Chile’s spectacular network of fjords and channels. Helicopter flightseeing and Zodiac cruises along this enchanting stretch of coastline provide awe-inspiring perspectives of some of the most remote and picturesque landscapes on Earth.   From Magellanic penguin colonies and other seabirds to South American sea lions and southern elephant seals, the fascinating array of wildlife is as abundant as the majestic blue-toned tidewater glaciers.

Celebrating Shackleton: Journey from Antarctica to South Georgia: This 20-day voyage follows in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–1917), including Elephant Island and wildlife-rich South Georgia.

This brand new itinerary celebrates the life of Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose passing in South Georgia on January 5, 1922, marked the end of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. The 20-day itinerary Celebrating Shackleton: Journey from Antarctica to South Georgia (which will coincide with the centenary of Shackleton’s death) not only honors one of Antarctica’s greatest heroes—but also his unwavering spirit of exploration, which Quark Expeditions continues to emulate to this day.

Whereas Shackleton and his crew braved the harsh elements of Antarctica aboard Endurance, which had the most basic of amenities, guests on this voyage will board the brand new ship Ultramarine—during its inaugural Antarctic sailing season. The technologically-advanced vessel will follow the route of Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–1917), allowing passengers to experience the full splendor of Antarctica and South Georgia while exploring on Ultramarine’s two twin-engine helicopters and 20 fast-launching Zodiacs. Guests will cross the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula, visit the Weddell Sea (where the ill-fated Endurance met its tragic end), then onto Elephant Island and, ultimately, wildlife-rich South Georgia, where, if conditions allow, guests will pay homage to Shackleton at his grave at Grytviken.