Quark Expeditions Unveils “South Georgia to Cape Verde: Secret Islands, Rare Birds, and Legendary Explorers”
Polar Expeditions Leader Announces 2018 Atlantic Islands Expedition from Falkland Islands & South Georgia to Cape Verde via Tristan da Cunha Archipelago
[Seattle, WA] – Thursday, May 9 2017. Quark Expeditions®, the leader in polar adventure is excited to unveil the first voyage in an expanded portfolio of sub-polar experiences: “South Georgia to Cape Verde: Secret Islands, Rare Birds, and Legendary Explorers”. This new voyage offers travelers the chance to see varied and rare birdlife, history spanning millennia, and volcanic islands. It also marks an extension of Quark’s sailing season to offer a greater variety of opportunities for travelers to experience picturesque, hard-to-reach destinations, while keeping within the company’s expedition travel tradition.
“South Georgia to Cape Verde: Secret Islands, Rare Birds, and Legendary Explorers” is a geographically diverse 33-day sub-polar adventure in which passengers will travel by small expedition ship from the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia near the Antarctic Circle, past the equator to Cape Verde, just off the northwest coast of Africa.
Birders and naturalists will be thrilled for the chance to travel alongside famed ornithologist Noah Strycker—who set a world record in 2015 for seeing 6,042 species of birds in one calendar year. Passengers will have the chance to absorb expert off-the-ship insights from Noah and onboard educational lectures on the endemic species of these remote regions.
Hiking, cruising and exploring the islands with seasoned, expert guides presents myriad opportunities for immersive education in geology, history, ornithology, marine biology and more.
The volcanic composition of the islands passengers will explore, by Zodiac cruise and on foot, offer a spectacular backdrop for amateur and professional photographers alike. Those islands and landing sites include:
- Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia, where they’ll follow in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s perilous voyages and experience South Georgia’s spectacularly diverse and plentiful wildlife, including 30 breeding bird species and four penguin species.
- Tristan da Cunha Archipelago, including Gough Island, Nightingale Island and Inaccessible Island. Passengers may spot some of the islands’ endemic bird species, explore a UNESCO World Heritage site, visit a remote island village of under 300 residents, and view both active and inactive volcanoes.
- St. Helena Island, Ascension Island, and Botswainbird Island, an extremely important avian region and home to the world’s oldest living land animal--a 184-year old tortoise--and offers the most inhabited of the visiting islands in St. Helena, home of the 4,500-resident capital of Jamestown.
- Cape Verde, the final destination and point of disembarkation for travelers, who can then travel home with easy flights to Portugal, or stay on to relax and enjoy Cape Verde from one of the archipelago’s many resorts.
These islands tell a story spanning millions of years and provide insights to our planet’s past. It’s an expedition for those craving a true exploration experience, visiting far-off lands after crossing long distances by ship, watching for whales and seabirds en route, and setting foot on islands few have ever experienced. Passengers will enjoy an incredible temperature transition, beginning their voyage in cold weather gear and ending up on a beach in their swimsuits.
“This is an exciting opportunity for travelers to experience the biodiversity of the Atlantic’s most remote islands, from dozens of endemic bird species, to nesting green turtles in their natural habitat, to beloved marine species like dolphins,” said Andrew White, President of Quark Expeditions. “It’s the ideal escape for anyone with a desire to spend a full month experiencing the history and ecosystems unique to this far-off and little-explored area of our world. We’ll continue to explore new itineraries to offer passengers more opportunities to visit remote destinations.”
Interested parties are encouraged to contact a Polar Travel Adviser at 888.979.4073 (or +1.802.490.1843 outside North America) with any questions about this exciting expedition. The full itinerary including possible landing sites is available here.
Tweet: @QuarkExpeditions unveils new 30-day Atlantic exploration adventure, “South Georgia to Cape Verde: Secret Islands, Rare Birds, and Legendary Explorers” http://bit.ly/2pADYFw #travelwithQuark
Post: Quark Expeditions® has launched a month-long Atlantic expedition to take birders, photographers and history buffs on an in-depth exploration from South Georgia and the Falkland Islands all the way to Cape Verde, via the Tristan de Cunha archipelago and St. Helena/Ascension Islands. Check out “South Georgia to Cape Verde: Secret Islands, Rare Birds, and Legendary Explorers” http://bit.ly/2pADYFw #adventuretravel
About Quark Expeditions®:
Specializing in expeditions to Antarctic and the Arctic, Quark Expeditions® has been the leading provider of polar adventure travel for 25 years. With a diverse fleet of specially-equipped small expedition vessels, icebreakers, and unique land-based adventures, it offers travelers unparalleled access to the most remote places on earth. Led by passionate and seasoned expedition teams, including scientists, naturalists and researchers, the on-board program focuses on guest interaction to educate and enrich the passenger experience. The company is known for its commitment to safety and sustainability, including its partnership with The Nature Conservancy (USA), and support of various charities and organizations including Polar Bears International, Penguin Lifelines, the South Georgia Heritage Trust, and the Scott Polar Research Institute.
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