Itheku Elihle

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EMEXICO

PHAKATHI kwezwe laseMexico nenhlonhlo yaseBaja California kuneTheku LaseCalifornia elinamanzi aluhlaza (eliboniswe ngezansi), ekuqaleni elalaziwa ngokuthi uLwandle LwaseCortés. Ingxenye enkulu yalesi sifunda sogu oluwugwadule neziqhingi ezomile iye yabizwa ngokuthi indawo eyiGugu Lomhlaba yi-United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Kungani le ndawo ikhetheke kangaka?

ITheku LaseCalifornia, kanye nendawo ezungezile, elingamakhilomitha angaphezu kwenkulungwane ubude nesilinganiso samakhilomitha angaba ngu-153 ububanzi, lihle futhi linezinto eziningi eziphilayo. Leli theku libuye libe namagagasi amakhulu kakhulu emhlabeni, angaphakama afinyelele emamitheni angu-9 emaphethelweni asenyakatho. Ukukhanya kwelanga okukhulu nemisinga yamanzi agcwele izinto ezinomsoco kubangela uswebezane lwezilwanyana nezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zezilwane. Lezi zici kanye namanzi acwebile engxenyeni enkulu yalesi funda kwashukumisela umhloli wezilwandle uJacques-Yves Cousteau ukuba abize leli theku ngokuthi “isizinda sezilwane zasolwandle esikhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni.”

Leli theku, elinezinhlobo zezinhlanzi ezingaphezu kuka-890, ezingaba ngu-90 kuzo ezitholakala kule ndawo kuphela, liyindawo enhle engokwemvelo yokufunda ngezinto eziphila olwandle. Nokho, ngokudabukisayo eziningi zalezi zinto ziyancipha, kuhlanganise nehlengethwa okuthiwa i-vaquita, okuyigama leSpanishi elisho “inkonyane.”

I-vaquita, eyilungu elincane lomkhaya wamahlengethwa, ikhula ibe amasentimitha angu-150 ubude. Isikhumba sayo siyahlukahluka kusuka kwesimpunga ngokuphaphathekile kuya kwesinsundu. Njengoba sitholakala kuphela emanzini angajulile, adungekile kuleli theku eduze nesizalo soMfula iColorado, lesi silwanyana esinamahloni asivamile ukubonwa futhi kuncane okwaziwayo ngaso. Empeleni, sasingaziwa kwaze kwaba ngo-1958 lapho kutholakala izingebhezi ezintathu ogwini lwaseBaja California.

Njengoba ebalelwa nje emakhulwini ambalwa, ama-vaquita kuthiwa asengozini enkulu. Noma kunjalo, unyaka ngamunye kuminza amashumi emanethini abadobi bendawo. Ukuze lisize ekuqinisekiseni ukusinda kwalesi silwane esincelisayo esiyivelakancane, elaseMexico liye lakha indawo yokulondoloza imvelo ehlanganisa nengxenye yendawo ama-vaquita ahlala kuyo. Ezinye izilwane ezihlala kuleli theku nezivakasha ngoba zifuduka zihlanganisa imikhomo, ama-manta ray amakhulu, izimfudu ama-leatherback, izimvu zamanzi, ama-marlin, izinhlanzi ama-sailfish kanye namaqulu amakhulu ezinhlanzi ama-tuna.

Phansi ekujuleni, engxenyeni eseningizimu yaleli theku, ososayensi bathola izinto eziphilayo ezithakazelisayo eziye zabonwa abantu abambalwa kakhulu. Isizathu siwukuthi lezi zilwane zihlala emgodini ojulile waseGuaymas, ongaba amamitha angu-2 000 ukujula. Lo mgodi osekujuleni kolwandle unemifantu eshisayo esekela izilwane eziningi ezithola amandla kuyi-hydrogen sulfide, hhayi elangeni. Ezinye zezilwane ezihlala kule mifantu ama-tube worm, izibungu ezibomvu tebhu ezingenamlomo nazibilini ezihlala ngamaqoqo, ezima ziqonde zibambelele ekujuleni kolwandle, bese zishona ngapha nangapha njengoba zishaywa amanzi olwandle abandayo namanzi ashisayo aphuma emfantwini. Isibungu ngasinye siphila ngokubambisana nama-bacterium ahlala ngaphakathi kwaso. Empeleni izinsiba ezibomvu zalesi sibungu ziyizitho zokuphefumula.

Nakuba izinto eziphila kuleli theku zisengozini, ikusasa lazo laphakade liyathembisa. Ngani? Ngenxa yokuthi uMdali uyakhathalela. Empeleni, uwukhathalela kakhulu umhlaba wonke kangangokuba maduzane uzongenela ukuze awuvikele engozini eqhubekayo futhi ngemva kwalokho awuvuselele ngokuvumelana nenjongo yakhe yasekuqaleni. (Genesise 1:26-28; IsAmbulo 11:18) Kunzima ukucabanga ukuthi iTheku LaseCalifornia liyoba lihle kangakanani ngaleso sikhathi. Empeleni, igama elithi “lihle” lingase lingabuvezi ngokuphelele lobo buhle.

[Isithombe ekhasini 25]

Umkhomo i-“fin”

[Isithombe ekhasini 25]

Ama-“tube worm”

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 24]

Satellite view: NASA/The Visible Earth (http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/); reef: ©Dirscherl Reinhard/age fotostock

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 25]

Beach: Mexico Tourism Board; whale: ©Mark Jones/age fotostock; tube worms: ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution