Quark Expeditions Adds Helicopter Flights Over Remote Axel Heiberg Island in the Canadian Arctic

by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 1:50 PM ET, Mon September 16, 2024

Quark Expeditions is celebrating the success of flightseeing excursions over Axel Heiberg Island in the remote Canadian Arctic. 

Offered during the line’s most recent “Canadian Remote Arctic” voyage aboard the 199-guest Ultramarine, the outings took place aboard the ship’s twin-engine H145 helicopters.  

Travelers who joined the excursions got to see one of the most isolated islands on the planet from high above. Axel Heiberg Island, situated in Canada’s Arctic Archipelago, is virtually inaccessible, according to Quark Expeditions.

The team overseeing the journey included the Ultramarine’s captain Yuriy Oboychuck and expedition leader Colin Souness, as well as helicopter pilots Steve Fischer and Steve Martin. A seasoned group of veteran Arctic guides also made the outings possible.

“The challenges of getting there are immense—from unpredictable and often heavy seasonal pack ice to the harsh climate and weather, coupled with the sheer remoteness of the island,” says Souness. “Yet, it’s these obstacles and the difficulty of the task that fuel our passion for pushing the boundaries of polar exploration. Soaring above the unique and spectacular glaciers of Axel Heiberg, absorbing the vast and unspoiled beauty of the place whilst knowing you're the only ones up there... that’s why we do what we do.”

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