With its fleet of small ships, team of elite guides and more than 30 years of experience operating in the polar regions, Quark Expeditions knows the best way to see Antarctica. And for its 2024/25 season in the white continent, the expedition specialist is taking clients to the sky, offering more helicopter adventures than ever before.
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FLYING HIGH
A trip to Antarctica is already a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, but by inviting travellers to soar 1,000 feet over the untouched Antarctic wilderness by helicopter, Quark Expeditions adds an exciting and unique spin to this incredible destination. Clients will see the icy landscape like they never imagined was possible.
The line launched its 199-guest vessel Ultramarine in 2021, and the ship boasts two twin-engine Airbus H145 helicopters. These sleek aircraft enable travellers to explore further once they arrive in Antarctica, setting foot where few humans have ever walked. As well as flightseeing, guests can opt for helicopter adventures including heli-hiking, alipine heli-trekking and alpine kayaking. This coming season, helicopter adventures will be available on eight sailings, across five itineraries.
Ultramarine was purpose-built for the polar regions, featuring 20-quick launching Zodiacs and advanced sustainability systems, and is believed to offer the largest portfolio of off-ship adventure options in the industry. It’s part of a fleet of small polar vessels, including World Explorer and Ocean Explorer, and these smaller vessels are able to take guests to places larger ships simply can’t navigate.
WHEN TO GO
What your customers see and do in Antarctica with Quark Expeditions will depend on when they go. From October to December, the seventh continent is covered in ice and penguins are busy laying their eggs. If they visit between December and late-February, they’re likely to be able to see penguins hatching, while mid-February to March is an ideal time to see whales as they return to the region to feed.
HIGHLIGHTS OF ANTARCTICA
There’s so much to experience in Antarctica, and here are just some of the highlights your customers can expect when travelling with Quark Expeditions:
Incredible wildlife
For many clients, one of the main draws in Antarctica is the rich diversity of wildlife. The Antarctic Peninsula, for instance, is abundant with minke, humpback, right, blue, sperm and killer whales. Snow Hill Island, in the ice-choked Weddell Sea, is the site of one of the world’s largest colonies of Emperor penguins. The sub-Antarctic destinations of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia are equally rich with wildlife. And visitors to the Falkland Islands can observe at least five species of penguins.
Famed crossings
Another highlight is the infamous Drake Passage, where the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern Oceans converge. Crossing the 500-mile Drake Passage is a rite of passage for many travellers with Quark Expeditions, but the line also offers the option to fly by charter plane.
Travellers can also cross south across the Antarctic Circle, at 66°33’ south, which is a milestone experienced by only a few polar adventurers.
Visiting key destinations
Quark Expeditions offers an array of exciting itineraries in Antarctica. Guests can visit the Antarctic Peninsula, an 800-mile stretch of land and ice that extends northward from the Antarctic continent towards South America, with glaciers, snow-covered mountain tops, deep blue waters and huge icebergs.
They can also explore Patagonia, a is a sparsely-populated, wildlife-rich region in the southern part South America. The Andes Mountains form the natural divide between Argentine Patagonia and Chilean Patagonia, where Quark Expeditions focuses its explorations.
Snow Hill Island, off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, is another highlight, being home to a colony of 4,000 pairs of breeding Emperor penguins. Reaching Snow Hill is challenging, but with Quark Expeditions guests navigate the icy Weddell Sea by icebreaker, before taking a helicopter flight and finally trekking on foot to reach the penguin rookery.
The sub-Antarctic archipelago of the Falkland Islands, or Islas Malvinas, is known for its wildlife—penguins and bird species are plentiful—as well as its dramatic history.
South-east of the Falkland Islands lies South Georgia, with just a handful of temporary human inhabitants. The crescent-shaped, mountainous island is known for its diverse wildlife, and is often called the “Galapagos of the Poles” because of its biodiversity. Antarctica abounds with historic sites and landmarks associated with early polar explorers. The burial ground of Sir Ernest Shackleton at Grytviken, South Georgia, is one of the many discoveries awaiting your clients.
Visit TTG’s complete guide to selling Quark Expeditions on the TTG Expedition Cruise Selling Guide.
