This article is published as part of a partnership between PolarJournal and Quark Expeditions.
The cruise operator has chosen a tireless advocate for inclusivity and capability as well as an expert in geoscience to serve as the touchstone for Ultramarine
Quark Expeditions has named Sian Proctor as godmother for its newest expedition ship, Ultramarine and invites guests to join her for celebrations onboard the expedition to Antarctica’s legendary Snow Hill in November.
In her godmother role, Dr Proctor will continue a longstanding maritime tradition: celebrating 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, the 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,” Dr Proctor said. “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, Dr Proctor offers a compelling voice, according to Quark Expeditions.
“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,” the company said.
And as an artist and career educator, Dr Proctor brings 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 galvanise polar ambassadors worldwide.
Quark Expeditions welcomes explorers to join Dr Proctor onboard Ultramarine in Antarctica throughout the special 24 November sailing of the voyage Emperor Penguin Quest: Expedition to Snow Hill.
About Quark Expeditions
Specialising 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 travellers 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 experience, 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 on-board programme that enriches the passenger experience.
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. The colony’s 4,000 pairs of breeding penguins and their chicks make for a large wildlife encounter as well as a remarkably rare one.
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. The ship’s innovative sustainability features, which help reduce its environmental footprint, include a micro auto gasification system that is capable of converting on-board waste into energy, eliminating the need for the transportation of waste.
This article is published as part of a partnership between PolarJournal and Quark Expeditions.
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