Quark Expedition Leaders Annie Inglis and David 'Woody' Wood
Push Shetty, Global Distribution Manager with Lisa McLean, Director Marketing & E-Commerce
Jonathan Carroll, Business Development & Trade Communications; Mary Ungaro, Expedia Cruiseshipcenters – Rosedale and Teresa Buttinelli, Flylink Travel
Ever dream of dancing around the North Pole, or setting foot on the 7th continent and seeing emperor penguins and elephant seals in their natural habitat? For many people these are bucket list experiences, and Quark Expeditions can make it happen.
“It’s the best job in the world,” said Annie Inglis about her role as Expedition Leader for Quark. "It's such a privilege to bring clients to these areas." Just a few days fresh off a trip to Svalbard in the high arctic, Inglis, along with her colleague David “Woody” Wood were all smiles and radiating enthusiasm, ready to share stories about their polar adventures. The 2 were recently at Quarks' sales office in Toronto for a quick stop in the 1st in a series of speaking engagements across North America. An intimate group of agents were invited to meet them, along with their Toronto marketing, sales and support team.
Established in 1991, Quark Expeditions specializes exclusively in tours to the Arctic and Antarctic. Boasting the largest variety of itineraries in these regions, a few sample activities include, kayaking, camping, cross country skiing, photography, birding, hot air ballooning and the polar plunge for those brave souls who truly want an immersive experience. Value add-ons to trip packages include pre-night hotel stays before all expeditions in the Antarctic, some transfers, boots and a yellow parka that clients get to keep!
To access these remote destinations, Quark is equipped with a fleet of 5 small and robust ice-class vessels, including the most powerful nuclear-powered icebreaker on the planet. Although accommodations are very comfortable and service onboard is excellent, the focus is not on luxury or the ship. "We're not a cruise line," said David Tanguay, Account Manager for Quark. "We want to take clients outside. We want them to see the wildlife and the icebergs and make [clients] understand those environments and see how special they are.”
Trips vary from 8, 10 and 12 days in length and do follow a structure that revolves around activities, excursions and wildlife sighting, however, guests are asked to be flexible. "A day in the life [of a polar tour] is not something that's predictable," said Wood. "We could wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning to see a polar bear. That's part of the excitement of the adventure."
According to Inglis and Wood, clients are typically well travelled, well informed and have an inquiring mind. Those accustomed to independent travel are always pleasantly surprised by the group experience. A ship can host up to 100 guests, however, smaller groups are formed for off ship activities and revolve around the clients’ interests.
Expedition Leaders and guides come from all over the world and have varied backgrounds in the sciences, outdoor education, photography, biology and history, which offer a well-rounded perspective of the regions.
Although Quark does have repeat clients, the majority will travel to the Arctic or Antarctic once, maybe twice in their lifetime. So how to choose? The difference depends on what excites them about these regions. “In terms of wildlife sighting, the Arctic offers more variety in species. For sheer volume, the Antarctic is the place to be," said Inglis. Whichever the choice, the experience will not disappoint.
After 12 years of leading expeditions to both ends of the world, Wood is often asked what the one stand out moment has been, to which he always replies, "There's been a magical moment on every day of every trip."
