Quark Expeditions Announces Dr Sian Proctor as Ship's Godmother for Ultramarine

SEATTLE, June 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Quark Expeditions, the global leader in polar adventures, is thrilled to announce Dr Sian Proctor as godmother for their newest expedition ship, Ultramarine, and invites guests to join her for celebrations onboard the expedition to Antarctica's legendary Snow Hill in November 2023.

Credit: Sam Crimmin

In her godmother role, Dr Proctor will continue a longstanding maritime tradition: the celebration of strong women as touchstones for a ship's good fortune and safe passage at sea. But just as Ultramarine does on its unmatched polar expeditions, ship godmother Sian will go beyond tradition, and beyond the expected.

"Our team put significant time and innovative thought toward the perfect godmother relationship, and we are ecstatic to have found a truly extraordinary partner for Ultramarine," said Andrew White, President of Quark Expeditions. "We look forward to working with Sian in ways that will transcend any dockside champagne ceremony—not just to go beyond as a leader onboard Ultramarine with our polar explorers, but to go together for years to come in supporting the work of our company and our teams around the world."

Embodying the ship's ability to go deeper and go farther, Dr Proctor is a trailblazer who has been resolute and uncompromising in her quest for the extraordinary. Along with voyages to the world's most remote regions, she has left the planet as an astronaut and is the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft.

"When I saw our polar regions from space, as beacons of earthlight, I knew I wanted to make these places part of my work," said Dr Sian Proctor. "What better place than the far edges of the planet to expand our awareness of what it means to be a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive society."

As a partner who has already joined Ultramarine guests and adventures as part of the ship's first Antarctic voyages, Sian offers a compelling voice. She is a tireless advocate for inclusivity and capability as well as an expert in geoscience, so she understands both the internal strengths of individuals and the uniting power of the external landscapes they share.

And as an artist and career educator, Sian bring a tremendous ability to illuminate Ultramarine's capabilities for polar explorers—she understands that it is not just the vessel alone; it is the ability of the ship's stories and images to galvanize polar ambassadors worldwide.

Quark Expeditions welcomes explorers to join Dr Proctor onboard Ultramarine in Antarctica throughout the special November 24, 2023 sailing of the voyage Emperor Penguin Quest: Expedition to Snow Hill—contact the company's polar travel advisors for details.

Did you know?: Quark Expeditions was the first to land at Antarctica's Snow Hill in 2004, but the location of its Emperor penguin colony was first identified by an astronaut's planetary observations while in orbit—4,000 pairs of breeding penguins and their chicks make for a large wildlife encounter as well as a remarkably rare one!

About Quark Expeditions: Specializing exclusively in expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic, Quark Expeditions^® has been the leading innovator of polar adventure since the company took the first group of consumer travelers to the North Pole in 1991. Quark Expeditions has been innovating ever since. With a diverse fleet of specially-equipped small expedition vessels and icebreakers—some of them equipped with helicopters—Quark Expeditions delivers deeply immersive polar experiences—and is able to take guests deeper into the Polar Regions than anyone else. Led by passionate and seasoned expedition teams, including scientists, wildlife experts and researchers, Quark Expeditions offers an onboard program that enriches the passenger experience. 

About Ultramarine:
The technologically-advanced Ultramarine, the newest addition to the Quark Expeditions fleet, is a game-changer in polar exploration. Equipped with two twin-engine Airbus 145 helicopters, 20 quick-launching Zodiacs and the largest portfolio of off-ship adventure options in the industry, Ultramarine changes the way guests explore the Polar Regions. Other features include a spa, sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows, fitness centre, yoga space, spacious rooms and two restaurants plus a lounge and presentation theatre. Ultramarine has been designed with advanced sustainability systems that help preserve the pristine Polar Regions for the next generation of explorers. Ultramarine has an Ice Class rating of 1A+ and Polar Class rating of PC6, which contribute to the vessel's superior standards of safety standard. The ship's innovative sustainability features, which help reduce its environmental footprint, include a micro auto gasification system (MAGS), which is capable of converting onboard waste into energy, eliminating the need for the transportation of waste.

About Travelopia: Travelopia is one of the world's leading specialist travel groups. A pioneer in the experiential travel sector with a portfolio consisting of more than 50 independently operated brands, most of which are leaders in their sector. From sailing adventures, safaris and sports tours, to Arctic expeditions, each brand is diverse and focused on creating unforgettable experiences for customers across the world.

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