Two Minutes of Totality: Quark Expeditions Brings Guests to the Heart of the High Arctic Solar Eclipse

SEATTLE, WA - August 13, 2026

Quark Expeditions, dedicated exclusively to the polar regions since 1991, today shares that guests aboard its expedition ships Ultramarine and Ocean Explorer witnessed the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026, from Harefjord, one of the innermost branches of Scoresbysund, Greenland, placing them closer to the center line of the path of totality than almost any other travelers on Earth.

The eclipse lasted approximately two minutes and 15 seconds of totality, marking the first total solar eclipse visible from this region since 2015. Guests aboard both ships were accompanied by two of the world's leading eclipse experts, guided by Quark's highly experienced expedition teams, and equipped with the right gear to experience the moment totality arrived.

On deck, guests began counting down in the final seconds before totality, cameras raised and eyes fixed on the sky. As the last sliver of light gave way to the diamond ring effect and the corona emerged, reactions shifted quickly from anticipation to disbelief. Several guests described the moment as unlike anything they had witnessed, including those on their second or third total eclipse. Totality passed faster than many expected, prompting a scramble to capture the final seconds before the sky began to brighten again. For several guests, the experience brought them to tears; others described a chill that had nothing to do with the Arctic air.

"We spent months planning for two minutes and it delivered. Harefjord gave our guests a clear view of totality from the deck, and the moment it occurred, you understood why people cross the world for this," said Jake Morrison, Expedition Leader aboard Ultramarine.

"The fjords of East Greenland are some of the least visited corners of the Arctic, and there was nowhere better to be on Earth for this eclipse. To experience two minutes and 15 seconds of totality surrounded by that landscape, made it feel like the Arctic was part of the event rather than just the backdrop," said Amalia Goodall, Expedition Leader aboard Ocean Explorer.

Joining guests aboard Ultramarine was David Baron, veteran science journalist and author of the award-winning American Eclipse, who has witnessed nine total solar eclipses across the globe. August 12 marked his first in the High Arctic. Throughout the voyage, he delivered his keynote presentation, Scientific America: The Eclipse That Enlightened A Nation, preparing guests for what they were about to witness.

"This was my tenth total solar eclipse, but my first in the High Arctic, and the setting enhanced the experience," said David Baron, science journalist and author of American Eclipse. "Gazing at the glorious corona above the rugged terrain of Scoresbysund, I felt as if I had been transported to an alien world. People have traveled great distances to see eclipses for centuries, and this voyage reminded me why."

Aboard Ocean Explorer, guests were joined by eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler, founder of GreatAmericanEclipse.com and co-author of Atlas of Solar Eclipses: 2020 to 2045, who deepened guests' understanding of eclipse viewing, observational astronomy, and celestial mechanics throughout the 17-day voyage.

"I have spent years mapping this eclipse, and Scoresbysund stood out early as one of the best places on Earth to see it," said Michael Zeiler, eclipse cartographer and founder of EclipseAtlas.com. "From the deck of Ocean Explorer, guests experienced two minutes and 15 seconds of totality. Seeing the map become real, exactly where the calculations said it would, never gets old"

The total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026, offered one of the longest durations of totality visible anywhere on Earth, with the path of totality crossing Greenland and Iceland. For guests aboard Ultramarine and Ocean Explorer, Harefjord provided a backdrop as extraordinary as the event itself, a stark, remote, and rarely visited corner of the High Arctic, as close to the eclipse center line as any traveler could get. The last total solar eclipse visible from this region occurred in 2015.

Both voyages featured Quark's new Guided Photography Program, giving guests dedicated expert guidance to photograph the eclipse and the polar landscape surrounding it. Aboard Ultramarine, Lead Photo Guide Scott Sinton worked with guests throughout the voyage to prepare for the moment of totality. Aboard Ocean Explorer, Lead Photo Guide Stephen Bradley did the same.

For Quark Expeditions, the eclipse voyages are the latest chapter in a 35-year history of delivering extraordinary experiences in the world's most remote places. As the only expedition operator dedicated exclusively to the polar regions, Quark has spent three and a half decades pioneering access to the Arctic and Antarctica, delivering the unexpected moments that define a life well-traveled.

Media Contact
Nicole Weiss | PR & Communications, Quark Expeditions
[email protected] | +1 626-321-7658