[ad_1]
A popular cruise ship captain whose passion for Akaroa Harbor brought its famous wildlife to life for more than 100,000 people will be “deeply missed” after his death in a car accident.
Julian Yates was the main skipper on the nature cruises managed by Banks Peninsula’s tour company Black Cat Cruises.
“He was just genuinely enjoying what he was doing, and it showed every day,” said Black Cat CEO Paul Milligan. Stuff.
CASSANDRA KOVACS / Avenues
Skipper Julian Yates spent 10 years guiding nature cruises for Black Cat Cruises in the port of Akaroa.
“Ten years of doing multiple trips a day, and every time I went out I gave it 100 percent.
“I think it was simply for his enjoyment of being in the port, seeing the dolphins and being able to share that with other people.
READ MORE:
* Fewer Hector’s dolphin sightings in Canterbury raises concerns
* The tug of war for Akaroa cruises threatens jobs
* Cruise ship Akaroa spots Hector’s first dolphin calf of the season
* Working in the twin ports of Canterbury
“He will be missed a lot and will leave a big hole in the team.
“It’s a small community in Akaroa and a small team in Black Cat there, so there are a lot of people who are feeling very sad right now. It will take some time to fully understand it. “
Yates, who had a partner and two children, was killed in an accident in Weka Pass on Friday after a glass-paneled trailer detached from a pickup truck and crashed into his vehicle.
“His passion for the port and its marine life was unsurpassed and more than 100,000 guests have been fortunate enough to experience one of his voyages,” he said.
“His genuinely positive outlook and colorful personality mean that his loss will be felt not only by the Black Cat family, but also by the wider Akaroa community with which he was heavily involved.”
CASSANDRA KOVACS / Avenues
Julian Yates shared his knowledge of the port of Akaroa with more than 100,000 passengers.
Yates grew up in the Methven area, where his father developed Pudding Hill Lodge at the foot of Mt Hutt.
In an interview for Avenues magazine in 2018, Yates said her love of the sea stemmed from family vacations in the Marlborough Sounds, where days were spent exploring bays on a small boat.
He trawled for 11 years as a way to finance his dream of pilot training, before spending a stint driving water taxis in Abel Tasman National Park.
The desire for a less seasonal job led him to a job driving the Diamond Harbor Ferry, and after the February 2011 earthquake, he began to be a Black Cat skipper in Akaroa.
Yates was a “fantastic” member of the team, Milligan said, leading “exceptional” cruises day after day, one enjoyed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who was briefly allowed to take the wheel by the skipper.
“He really provided an absolutely exceptional trip and was passionate about being on the water and for both Akaroa Harbor and the marine life that we are fortunate to have there.
“He had many close connections in Lyttelton, as well as Akaroa, so he was well known and loved throughout the peninsula.”
Yates gave himself the nickname “Capitano Juliano,” despite having no Italian heritage, Milligan said, and he played in a band and flew gliders outside of work, as well as enjoying nature and the great outdoors at every opportunity. .
Stuff
Dolphin watching in Akaroa harbor is a great tourist attraction.
But it was his job in Akaroa Harbor, bringing the wonders of its volcanic cliffs, coves and waterfalls, its Hector’s dolphins, seals and white-finned penguins, to thousands of visitors that gave him lasting joy and led him to rate his work as the best he has ever had.
He said Avenues: “I am fascinated by what I am showing people and I find that the more I know, the more I have to base myself …
“When I get home from work today, I will cross the beach to swim. I live and work in such a beautiful place. “
Some of Black Cat Cruises ‘voyages from Akaroa will be affected this week as the team takes the time to celebrate Yates’ life, the company said.
