# Quark Expeditions

Quark Expeditions is a travel company that offers polar region expeditions aboard expedition ships and icebreakers. The itinerary changes between polar regions with the seasons.

## History

Quark Expeditions was founded in 1985 by Mike McDowell, initially specializing in small-ship dive expeditions. It then transitioned to polar expeditions, where McDowell had prior experience as the expedition leader of the MV Explorer.
In 1990–1991, McDowell chartered the MV Frontier Spirit during its inaugural season of operations for several voyages to Antarctica from Hobart, Australia and Bluff, New Zealand. After these voyages, Mike McDowell partnered with Lars Wikander.
In 1998, McDowell sold his interests to Lars Wikander, who then became the company's majority owner. Three years later, Wikander became chairman of the board when Patrick Shaw joined the company as president and CEO.
In May 2007, the company became part of the UK-based TUI Travel group of companies; subsequently, in 2016, it became part of Travelopia, a division comprising some brands from the former TUI Specialist Group.
In 2012, the company advertised that it was offering the first "carbon-neutral" polar expeditions with the Ocean Diamond. The former ro-ro ship uses Bunker C heavy-duty oil, and one voyage produces an estimated 5,682 tons of CO$_2$. The tour operator signed a contract with the certifier The CarbonNeutral Company.
In 2016, the company mounted an Arctic expedition involving internet personalities and YouTube creators including Ben Brown, Tim Kellner and Tom Scott led by retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.
The company's summer 2019 program in the Arctic included sailings to Greenland, Canada's High Arctic, the Northwest Passage and the North Pole.
In April 2021, Quark took delivery of its first solely owned ship Ultramarine from Brodosplit shipyard in Croatia.

## Polar fleet & land expeditions

In 1991, Quark Expeditions was the first consumer-led expedition to the North Pole. The company has the largest and most diverse fleet of passenger vessels in the Antarctic. Quark offers both cruises and land-based expeditions. Expeditions are held on the following ships:
Fleet :
| Icebreakers | Icebreakers | Icebreakers | Icebreakers | Icebreakers | Icebreakers | |
| | Name | Year Completed | Shipyard | Passenger Capacity | Ice-class | Notes |
| | 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) | 1993 | Baltic Shipyard | 128 | LL1 (the highest rating possible) | |
| | Kapitan Khlebnikov | 1981 | Hietalahti Shipyard, Finland | 108 | LL3 | |
| Expedition Fleet | Expedition Fleet | Expedition Fleet | Expedition Fleet | Expedition Fleet | Expedition Fleet | |
| | Ocean Adventurer | 1975 | Brodogradilište, Kraljevica, Yugoslavia SFR Yugoslavia (now Croatia) | 128 | 1A | To be retired from Quark expedition service in October 2024 |
| | World Explorer | 2019 | WestSEA Shipyard, Viana do Castelo, Portugal | 172 | 1B | Chartered from Mystic Cruises, will be renamed STAR EXPLORER and will be handed over to Windstar Cruises in December 2026. |
| | Ultramarine | 2021 | Brodosplit shipyard, Croatia | 199 | 1A+, PC6 | First ship fully owned by Quark Expeditions |
| | Ocean Explorer | 2021 | Haimen shipyard, Jiangsu, China | 138 | 1A, PC6 | Chartered from Sunstone 2024/25 Antarctic season replacing Ocean Adventurer |

## Sustainability & charitable initiatives

Quark Expeditions is a long-time, active member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators and Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators, and promotes various sustainability initiatives. In 2012, the Ocean Diamond made a carbon-neutral voyage to Antarctica.

## Recognition

Quark has received several industry awards, including from Travel Weekly and National Geographic.