Quark Expeditions, one of the leading innovators and operators of expedition cruises, especially in polar regions, traces its foundation back to 1985. The company was conceived and founded by Mike McDowell, who during the previous eight years had gained wide ranging experience of expedition cruise travel as the expedition leader on the illusrious M.V.LINDBLAD EXPLORER. During those eight years, Mike traveled to all points of the earth including more than 35 voyages to Antarctica as well as many more to the Arctic and numerous islands and countries in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Ocean. In 1984 when the LINDBLAD EXPLORER was sold to new owners, Mike headed off to Indonesia to plan and start the operations of a new vessel called M.V. ISLAND EXPLORER. It was during the latter part of 1985 during a series of cruises to the exotic outer islands of Indonesia that he conceived the idea of a small specialized company offering select voyages to special destinations.

The original Quark Expeditions started small, offering and operating only two diving voyages to the pristine areas of eastern Indonesia in its first year. While Mike's expertise lay in geographical knowledge and in planning and operation of expedition cruising, he turned to his former employer SALEN LINDBLAD CRUISING based in Stamford, Connecticut to act as the world wide General Sales Agent for Quark and to provide office, reservation, marketing and operational support. The relationship prospered and year by year Quark grew a little more, offering five then ten and later more voyages per year while at the same time moving out beyond Indonesia into many other ship based destinations culminating in the last five years with a distinct focus on polar regions - Antarctica and the Arctic.

In 1990 Mike participated in the first ever passenger voyage to the North Pole on board a nuclear powered Soviet icebreaker. So impressed was he with the power and quality of those vessels that he resolved to charter them for future passenger voyages into polar ares where no other vessels could go. Again teaming up with SALEN LINDBLAD CRUISING, Quark Expeditions pioneered the initial development of expedition cruises on board fully classed polar icebreakers. Much time and money was put onto upgrading and adding to the facilities on board for passenger use. The result has been a superb mix of excellent passenger comfort added on to vessels with unrivaled capabilities in polar areas.

When SALEN LINDBLAD CRUISING was sold in 1992, the former president of that company (and a personal friend of Mike McDowell) decided to join Quark operation as away of anchoring the company in the USA, Lars Wikander incorporated QUARK EXPEDITIONS INC. in Delaware and negotiated a contract for QUARK EXPEDITIONS INC. to act as the world wide General Sales Agent for the original but overseas QUARK EXPEDITIONS. That relationship has continued and prospered with Lars Wikander as President of QUARK EXPEDITIONS INC. directing all world wide sales as well as passenger handling plus some other agreed operational tasks. Mike McDowell as a Manager of Supernova Expeditions Ltd. (the original renamed Quark Expeditions Ltd) which remains overseas devised all itineraries as well as charters and operates all the vessels sold by Quark.

Supernova and Quark Expeditions together have pioneered and developed further the concept of fantastically adventurous voyages done in the first class comfort of super power polar icebreakers. This concept is unique and many 'FIRST EVER' voyages have been successfully operated. To this day the two companies are hatching new and wonderful ideas.

Quark Expeditions, Inc. is now headquartered in Darien, Connecticut and can be contacted at the following address and numbers:

Quark Expeditions
980 Post Road
Darien, CT 06820 USA

Tel: (1203) 656-0499 -- (1800) 356-5699
Tlx: 175683
Fax: (1203) 655-6623
email: [email protected]