Quark Expeditions polar ship Ultramarine in Ushuaia, Argentina, November 2023, photograph by Laurie Smaglick Johnson
Eradicating House Mice in a single operation on the world’s largest island to be attempted to date will be a costly undertaking. The Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds: The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project is working hard to raise the necessary funds required to realize its dream of a recovering island free of alien predators. Most heartening for the Project team is hearing of fund-raising efforts initiated by others who are also motivated by a desire to see albatrosses and other seabirds living on Marion Island without the presence of House Mice. One example comes from Quark Expeditions staff on two polar ships that visited the Antarctic Peninsula this last austral summer –Ultramarine and Ocean Explorer.
Ryan McDevitt from Florida, USA, Expedition Leader aboard the Ultramarine during the 2024/25 summer, photograph from Quark Expeditions
Quark Expeditions undertakes polar voyages in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Multiple sailings are undertaken to the Antarctic Peninsula during austral summers, out of the Argentinean port of Ushuaia. Since the early 1990s, live auctions with staff members presiding have been held aboard at the end of each voyage to raise funds for charities that focus on polar conservation, education and community development. In the 2024/25 summer, Ultramarine made 11 voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula. On each, one benefactor chosen in partnership with Expedition Leader Ryan McDevitt and his team for the charity auction was the MFM Project. Another Quark Expeditions vessel, the Ocean Explorer, also contributed, resulting in the two ships raising a total of US$100 000 from auctions. In the previous season US$5000 had been raised for the Project. In addition, two passengers aboard Quark Expeditions vessels donated US$3000 between them, bringing the overall total received by the MFM Project to US$108 000. Over the 2024/25 season revenue from auctions onboard Quark Expeditions vessels to Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands also helped support Penguin Watch, the South Georgia Heritage Trust and the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust.
Fabrice Genevois lectures on the MFM Project aboard the Ultramarine, photograph from a video by Justin Schaay
The Ultramarine’s onboard expedition guide and ornithology lecturer Fabrice Genevois is a French biologist with a special interest in the wildlife of the polar regions who has spent time conducting research on seabirds on the Kerguelen Islands. Before each auction, Fabrice gave an illustrated lecture in the ship’s 199-seat Ambassador Theatre on the MFM Project that he had prepared himself. Items auctioned, numbering around 10 each time, included a voyage chart with all the locations visited mapped along with drawings by an onboard illustrator of the wildlife seen, and the flag flown on the ship during the voyage that was then signed by the Captain and the Expedition Leader. Most items are purchased and donated by Quark Expeditions, so that all funds raised in the auctions can be directed to the chosen beneficiaries.
A young Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans in the South Atlantic, photograph by Laurie Smaglick Johnson. The same species breeds on Marion Island in the southern Indian Ocean, where it is threatened by the introduced House Mice
The auctions were the result of a team effort, with staff onboard all Quark Expeditions vessels being involved, along with shore support from the office. Wildlife conservation photographer, author and MFM Project supporter Laurie Smaglick Johnson was onboard one of the Ultramarine 2024/25 voyages, when she says that Gordo Stern of Guest Services was the auctioneer, displaying unexpected skills and keeping guests entertained with his boundless energy and humour. Justin Schaay, Quark Expeditions Equipment Manager, was a key element and has been an important link between the field team and the office. Lyndsey Lewis, Quark Expeditions’ Head of Sustainability, supported the donations to the MFM Project at a high level and ensured the transfer of funds.
The Expedition Team on the Ultramarine in 2024/25, Bailey Head, Deception Island, photograph by Scott Sinton
Fabrice informs MFM News that he will be back on board the Ultramarine for the whole of the 2025/26 season, saying “I’m confident that the Quark Expeditions team will continue to put energy into raising funds to support the MFM Project.” Great news! For its part the Project has already sent two full size limited edition prints of Marion Island albatrosses by Leigh Wolfaardt to Federico Gargulio of Wayfinders Specialists in Polar Adventures in Ushuaia, to be ready for next season’s auctions.
“The Albatrosses of the Prince Edward Islands”, gouache and graphite pencil, by Leigh Wolfaardt
The MFM Project team is most grateful to all the staff aboard Quark Expeditions vessels and in its shore office, as well as those guests aboard whose successful auction bids have resulted in a substantial sum being raised towards eradicating Marion Island’s albatross-killing mice.
John Cooper, News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project, 19 August 2025
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Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri in flight on the Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 voyage, photograph by Laurie Smaglick Johnson
The Mouse-Free Marion Project is a registered non-profit company (No. 2020/922433/08) in South Africa, established to eradicate the invasive albatross-killing mice on Marion Island in the Southern Ocean. The project was initiated by BirdLife South Africa and the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Upon successful completion, the project will restore the critical breeding habitat of over two million seabirds, many globally threatened, and improve the island’s resilience to a warming climate. For more information or to support the project please visit mousefreemarion.org.
