Ushaka Omhlophe Omkhulu—Uyahlaselwa

Inhlanzi edla inyama, enkulu kunazo zonke izinhlanzi emhlabeni, ushaka omhlophe omkhulu, mhlawumbe abantu abawesaba ukwedlula noma yini enye ephilayo. Nokho, manje uwuhlobo oluvikelwe kulo lonke noma engxenyeni yolwandle oluzungeze i-Australia, iBrazil, iNamibia, iNingizimu Afrika ne-United States ngisho nasolwandle iMediterranean. Amanye amazwe nawo acabangela ukwandisa izindlela zokuwuvikela. Kodwa kungani kuvikelwa umbulali owaziwayo? Njengoba sizobona, le ndaba ayilula kangako. Futhi lokho umphakathi okucabangayo ngoshaka omhlophe akusekelwe eqinisweni ngaso sonke isikhathi.

USHAKA omhlophe omkhulua yiwo odla kakhulu izilwane zasolwandle ngaphezu komkhomo ne-sperm whale. Emkhayeni woshaka, uwushaka omkhulu. Udla noma yini—inhlanzi, amahlengethwa ngisho nabanye oshaka. Kodwa lapho ukhula, uba mkhulu futhi sewehlisa ijubane, uqala ukuthanda izimvu zamanzi, ama-penguin nengcuba—ikakhulukazi imikhomo efile.

Uma lifuna ukudla, iningi loshaka lizisebenzisa zonke izinzwa zalo, kuhlanganise neyokubona esebenza kahle kakhulu. Inzwa yabo yokuhogela yona, masivele sithi kuyafaneleka kakhulu ukungathekisa ngokuthi ikhala elibhukudayo! Nokho, ngaphezu kwalokho, bezwa yonke into—kangangokuthi oshaka bangase futhi babizwe ngokuthi amadlebe abhukudayo.

Amadlebe kashaka asizwa amangqamuzana azwela umfutho asohlangothini ngalunye lomzimba. Lesi simiso sokuzwa sizwa yonke into, ikakhulu ukungqangqazela—ngokwesibonelo sizwa inhlanzi ingqasha ekugcineni komkhonto. Ngakho-ke, kuwukuhlakanipha ngabadobi abadoba ngemikhonto ngaphansi kwamanzi ukuba bakhiphe inhlanzi eyophayo, engqashayo ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka emanzini.

Oshaka bananenzwa yesithupha. Ngenxa ye-ampullae of Lorenzini—imigujwana egcwele eduze kwekhala—bayakwazi ukuzwa amandla kazibuthe omhlaba angenzima kakhulu avela ekushayeni kwenhliziyo, ekuphefumuleni noma ezicubwini zokubhukuda zalokho okungaba isisulu. Eqinisweni, le nzwa yesithupha ibukhali kangangokuthi ingase yenze ushaka uzwe ngisho namandla kazibuthe olwandle. Ngenxa yalokho, oshaka bayakwazi ukubona ukuthi iyiphi indlela eya enyakatho neya eningizimu.

Ukubona Ushaka Omhlophe

Nakuba ubizwa ngokuthi ushaka omhlophe omkhulu, umhlophe noma uphaphathekile ngaphansi kuphela. Uvame ukuba mpunga emhlane. Imibala emibili ihlangana ohlangothini lwale nhlanzi emugqeni omazombezombe ohlukayo kushaka ngamunye. Lesi sici senza ikwazi ukuzifihla, kodwa futhi sisiza ososayensi ukuba bakwazi ukuhlukanisa ushaka ngamunye.

Oshaka abamhlophe bakhula babe bakhulu kangakanani? Incwadi ethi Great White Shark ithi: “Oshaka abamhlophe abakhulu kunabo bonke bangamamitha angu-5,8 kuya kwangu-6,4.” Inhlanzi engaka ingaba nesisindo esingaphezu kwamakhilogremu angu-2 000. Nokho, ngenxa yokugobela emuva kancane kwezimpiko zayo ezingunxantathu ezinamathele emzimbeni, lezi zilwane ezinkulu zitshuza emanzini njengezikhali ezicitshwayo. Umsila wabo ocishe ulingane, obanika amandla, uyinto eyivelakancane koshaka, njengoba izinhlobo eziningi zoshaka zinemisila engalingani.

Into kashaka omhlophe ehluke kakhulu neyesabekayo, ikhanda lawo elikhulu elimisé okwenhlamvu kaphayini, ame-hlo awo amnyama anolaka, nomlomo wawo ogcwele amazinyo abukhali njengensingo amise okwesaha. Uma le “mimese” ephume ngamibili iphuka noma iphuma, ibhande ‘elidlulisa’ amazinyo lisunduzela amanye phambili.

Igazi Elifudumele Libanika Amandla

Isimiso somjikelezo wegazi soshaka bohlobo lwe-Lamnidae, oluhlanganisa i-mako, i-porbeagle, noshaka omhlophe, sihluke kakhulu kwesabanye oshaka abaningi. Izinga lokushisa kwegazi labo lingaba ama-degree Celsius amathathu kuya kwamahlanu ngaphezu kwezinga lokushisa lamanzi. Igazi labo elishisayo lenza kusheshe kugayeke ukudla futhi linezela amandla nokukhuthazela. I-mako, edla izinhlanzi ezigijimayo zasolwandle, njenge-tuna, ingatshuza emanzini ngejubane lamakhilomitha ayikhulu ngehora ngokuvele isuke ngokushesha!

Uma oshaka bebhukuda, baphakanyiswa yizimpiko zabo ezingasesifubeni. Uma bebhukuda kancane kakhulu, bayama bese bezika njengendiza, futhi lokho kwenzeka naphezu kwamafutha akwazi ukubagcina bentanta, acashe esibindini esikhulu kangangokuthi singaba ingxenye eyodwa kwezine zesisindo sikashaka! Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinhlobo eziningi zikashaka kufanele ziqhubeke zibhukuda ukuze ziphefumule, ngoba ngale ndlela zingenisa amanzi anomoya-mpilo ngemilomo yazo nangezimbobo zokuphefumula. Lokhu kubangela ukuba uhlale uqhethile!

Udl’ Abantu?

Ezinhlotsheni zoshaka ezingu-368 ezaziwayo manje, zingu-20 kuphela eziyingozi. Futhi kulezi, zine kuphela ezinengxenye enkulu ekuhlaselweni kwabantu abayikhulu okubikwayo emhlabeni wonke unyaka ngamunye. Cishe kufa abantu abangu-30 kulokhu kuhlasela. Lezi zinhlobo ezine ezinecala yi-bull shark, okungenzeka isibulale abantu abaningi kunanoma yimuphi omunye ushaka, i-tiger shark, i-oceanic whitetip shark, noshaka omhlophe.

Kuyamangalisa ukuthi okungenani abangamaphesenti angu-55—futhi kwezinye izingxenye zomhlaba, abangamaphesenti angu-80—kulabo abahlaselwa ushaka omhlophe baye basinda. Kungani bebaningi kangaka abasindayo lapho behlaselwe yilo mbulali osabekayo?

Uyaluma Bese Uyakhafula

Ushaka omhlophe udume ngokukhafula isisulu esesilimele ngemva kokusiluma ngamandla okokuqala. Ube usulinda ukuba isisulu sife ngaphambi kokuba usidle. Uma isisulu kungumuntu, lo mkhuba wenza ukuba athole ithuba lokuphunyula. Ngezinye izikhathi umuntu uye asizwe yilabo abanesibindi abasuke benaye, ngaleyo ndlela lokhu kubonisa ukuhlakanipha kweseluleko sokuba ungabhukudi wedwa.

Nokho, imizamo yokukhulula enjalo beyingaba yingozi ukube ushaka omhlophe ubungenawo omunye umkhuba. Ukunuka kwegazi akuwenzi ukufune lá ukudla njengoba kwenza abanye oshaka. Kodwa kungani ushaka omhlophe usebenzisa leli lisu lokuluma bese uyakhafula?

Omunye usosayensi ucabanga ukuthi kungenxa yamehlo awo. Ngokungafani nabanye oshaka, ushaka omhlophe awunalo ulwelwesi olunjengejwabu lehlo oluvikele amehlo awo; kunalokho, uwagunquzisa ezingoxini zawo uma kuseduze ukuba ushayisane nokuthile. Uma ushayisa, ihlo lisala obala, mhlawumbe lisale lichayeke ezidladleni zemvu yamanzi ezinganwebula inyama. Yingakho-ke ushaka omhlophe uvame ukugalela ngegalelo lokubulala ngokushesha bese uyadedela.

Futhi, khumbula ukuthi oshaka abamhlophe benza njengabantwana—konke kuya emlonyeni ngaphambi kokuba kubonakale ukuthi kuyini! “Ngeshwa, kungaba nemiphumela eyinhlekelele uma ushaka omhlophe [uvivinya] ngokuluma,” kuchaza isazi sezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle uJohn West waseSydney, e-Australia.

Nakuba ushaka omhlophe uyisilwane esiyingozi, awulona idemoni elihalela inyama yomuntu. Omunye otshuza nge-abalone owachitha amahora angu-600 emanzini wabona oshaka abamhlophe ababili kuphela, futhi akukho nowodwa kubo owamhlasela. Eqinisweni, ushaka omhlophe uvame ukubabalekela abantu.

Lapho etshuza olwandle eziQhingini zaseCape Verde, umhloli wolwandle uJacques-Yves Cousteau nomngane wakhe bathuka bezithela kushaka omhlophe omkhulu. UCousteau wabhala: “Indlela owasabela ngayo ayikholeki. Sithuke siphelile lesi silwane esikhulu sakhipha inqwaba yendle futhi sashaya sachitha ngejubane.” Uyaphetha: “Uma ngicabanga ngakho konke okuhlangenwe nakho kwethu ngoshaka omhlophe, ngangilokhu ngimangazwa yigebe elikhulu phakathi kwalokho umphakathi ocabanga ukuthi lesi sidalwa siyikho nalokho esasibona siyikho.”

Ushaka Omhlophe Njengesisulu

Umbono womphakathi uye wathonywa kakhulu incwadi yangawo-1970 ethi Jaws, eyenziwa ibhayisikobho ethandwayo. Ngokushesha ushaka omhlophe wabhekwa njengento embi, futhi “iqembu labantu abafuna izindondo lancintisana ngokubona ukuthi ubani phakathi kwabo ozoba ngowokuqala ukosa ikhanda noma imihlathi yalo dl’ abantu,” kusho incwadi ethi Great White Shark. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, izinyo likashaka omhlophe eselikhuphukile liyobiza ama-dollar ayinkulungwane (amaRandi angu-3 800) (e-Australia); futhi imihlathi ephelele iyobiza ngaphezu kwama-dollar angu-20 000 (amaRandi angu-77 000).

Nokho, oshaka abamhlophe abaningi babulawelwa ukuthengiswa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izigidi zabanye oshaka zibanjwa minyaka yonke ukuze kwaneliswe imakethe echumayo yemikhiqizo yoshaka, ikakhulukazi izimpiko. Eminyakeni yamuva, njengoba inani lababanjwayo liye lancipha, bekulokhu kukhona amathemba emhlabeni wonke, ikakhulukazi ngoshaka abamhlophe.

Sebezoqondwa

Oshaka baziwa ngokuthi bahamba olwandle befuna okugulayo, okufayo, okugugile nosekufile. Ngakho-ke, ukuba khona koshaka abanempilo kusho izilwandle ezinempilo nezihlanzekile.

Iqaphela ukusongelwa koshaka, i-Species Survival Commission ye-International Union for the Conservation of Nature iye yamisa i-Shark Specialist Group ukuba icwaninge ngenkinga yoshaka. Nokho, ukucwaninga ngoshaka omhlophe akulula—awuzali kalula futhi uyafa uma uvalelekile. Ngakho-ke kufanele ucwaningelwe endaweni yawo yemvelo.

Njengoba abantu sebebaqonda kangconywana oshaka, isimo sabo sengqondo ngalezi zidalwa ezithakazelisayo siye sashintsha. Kodwa lokho akuwushintshi ushaka omhlophe omkhulu. Nakuba ungelona idemoni elibi, uyisilwane esiyingozi futhi kufanele uqashelwe futhi uhlonishwe. Uhlonishwe kakhulu!

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 11]

Labo shaka banemilomo emikhulu esabekayo

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 10]

Photos by Rodney Fox Reflections

South African White Shark Research Institute