Quark Expeditions has commenced its Arctic 2022 season with a 7-day Spitsbergen Highlights: Expedition in Brief voyage kicking off the program on 3 May 2022. The departure also marked the inaugural Arctic voyage of Ultramarine, Quark Expeditions’ game-changing new ship.

And it didn’t take long at all for guests to have a bucket-list experience, with a lone polar bear spotted wandering on sea ice near Svalbard by the expedition team at 6am on Day 4. Guests watched enthralled for over 90 minutes as the male polar bear jumped and swam from one drifting ice floe to another.

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Commenting on the 2022 Arctic program, Andrew White, President of Quark Expeditions said “We’re so proud of our recent Arctic season launch for myriad reasons. Not only is this Ultramarine’s inaugural season in the remote Arctic waters, but it also heralds a new way of exploring the Polar Regions – on a ship that’s been designed with a pioneering mix of advanced sustainability features that exceed industry standards.