Doug O'Neill

Even though I’m a seasoned traveler and travel writer, I was 27 years old when I hopped on an airplane for the first time. As one of eight children in a rural Ontario family, travel was limited to road trips to Wasaga Beach – in a very crowded Pontiac. But I eventually caught the travel bug and have now visited 40-plus countries. Landing at Quark Expeditions as Brand Copywriter seems like a natural step on a journey that started with a degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Waterloo followed by a Certificate in Magazine Journalism at Ryerson University, which ultimately led me to a print-and-digital publishing career at various Canadian magazines. One of my most fulfilling career experiences was launching a travel blog that I produced for several years at a national magazine. Hiking (or simply time spent in nature) tops my list of passions. In 2015 I completed the 800-km Camino de Santiago across Northern Spain. I’m a certified hike leader with Hike Ontario and I volunteer with the Bruce Trail Conservancy. I’ve co-authored a nature book, “110 Nature Hot Spots in Manitoba and Saskatchewan,” released by Firefly Books in April 2019.

  • Five Books About Women in Antarctica

    Five Books About Women in Antarctica

    Inspirational reading for polar travelers

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  • Antarctic curiosity: How do penguins get their names

    Antarctic curiosity: How do penguins get their names

    Penguins get their names in a variety of ways. Learn how Macaroni, Adélie, Chinstrap, Emperor and Magellanic penguins earned their names.

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  • Modern-day polar adventurers draw inspiration from generations of Antarctic explorers

    Modern-day polar adventurers draw inspiration from generations of Antarctic explorers

    Generations of polar adventurers have relied on the expertise and achievements of earlier explorers. Likewise, Quark Expeditions today draws on three decades of polar exploration to guide them.

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  • Chasing Shackleton: Chasing Polar Dreams

    Chasing Shackleton: Chasing Polar Dreams

    In 2013, explorer Tim Jarvis and crew recreated Shackleton’s 1916 journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia. A modern day epic!

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  • Top Reasons You’ll Love Traveling on Ocean Adventurer

    Top Reasons You’ll Love Traveling on Ocean Adventurer

    Find out what makes this ship so special that even the Expedition Team insist it’s their favourite polar ship.

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  • Top 5 Reasons to Fly Across the Drake Passage on your Antarctic Expedition

    Top 5 Reasons to Fly Across the Drake Passage on your Antarctic Expedition

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  • The Dream of Exploration

    The Dream of Exploration

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  • North Pole Dreaming: Journey to the Top of the World

    North Pole Dreaming: Journey to the Top of the World

    Standing at the North Pole is a dream only a handful of travelers fulfill. Quark Expeditions has been bringing world-travelers to the North Pole for nearly 30 years – longer than anybody else.

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  • Marine Superstitions, Time-Honoured Ship-Building Rituals and the Magic of the Steel-Cutting Ceremony

    Marine Superstitions, Time-Honoured Ship-Building Rituals and the Magic of the Steel-Cutting Ceremony

    Learn about marine superstitions that have stood the test of time, fascinating ship-building rituals and secrets of the steel-cutting ritual.

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  • Top 4 Reasons Antarctic Expeditions Make the Best Holiday Voyages

    Top 4 Reasons Antarctic Expeditions Make the Best Holiday Voyages

    Have you started your holiday list yet? Studies show that most of us are a bit jaded with the commercialized nature of the holiday season. Perhaps it’s time to think outside the proverbial gift...

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