“Esona Silwanyana Sikhulu Kwezibhabhayo Emhlabeni Wonke”

KUKHO isizathu esivakalayo esibangela ukuba ialbatross kuthiwe “sesona silwanyana sikhulu kwezibhabhayo Emhlabeni wonke.” Le ntaka iyeyona inkulu kuzo zonke iintaka zaselwandle, inamaphiko aziimitha ezintathu yaye inokubhabha ngesantya esingaphezu kweekhilomitha ezili-115 ngeyure. Nangona ialbatross isenokubonakala ibhadazela xa isemhlabeni, kuyamangalisa ukuyibukela ibhabha.

Kwiintlobo zealbatross ezingama-20 ezaziwayo, ezili-15 zihlala kulwandle olujikeleze iNew Zealand. ITaiaroa Head esencochoyini yeOtago Peninsula, kwiSouth Island yaseNew Zealand kuphela kwendawo ezihlala kuyo iialbatross kuMzantsi weIkhweyitha.

Iroyal albatross yakumntla iqala ukuzala xa iphakathi kweminyaka emithandathu nelishumi ubudala. Ezi zilwanyana zizala ubomi bazo bonke. Ezinye zezi ntaka zaziwa ngokuphila iminyaka engama-50 nangaphezulu! Ialbatross ibeka iqanda libe linye rhoqo emva kweminyaka emibini, ize phakathi kwelo xesha ihlale elwandle. Ngokuqhelekileyo, le ntaka iba neqabane elinye ubomi balo bonke.

Indlwane yayo iqalisa ukwakhiwa ngoSeptemba yaye inkunzi nemazi ziyancedisana ekuyakheni. NgoNovemba, imazi ibeka iqanda elinokuba nobunzima obuziigram ezimalunga nama-500. Kangangeentsuku ezingama-80 imazi nenkunzi ziyancedisana ekufukameni de iqanda liqandusele ekuqaleni kukaFebruwari. Emva koko inkunzi nemazi ziyatshintshana ngokugada nokondla intshontsho, ukutya kwalo iba yintlanzi nesquid esisele sihlafuniwe. Xa lineenyanga ezintandathu ubudala intshontsho linokuba nobunzima obuziikhilogram ezili-12—ubunzima obungaphezu kwealbatross endala!

Emva kwesithuba esingangonyaka, inkunzi nemazi ziyayishiya iTairoa Head ziye kuchitha unyaka elwandle, zize emva koko zibuye ukuze ziphinde zibeke elinye iqanda. Ngoxa inkunzi nemazi zingekho, eli ntshontsho liyehla kubunzima ebelikade linabo, bonke uboya buyakhula yaye lifunda nakuba kunzima ukuvula amaphiko lize libhabhe. Lisingise phi? Lisingise elwandle yaye le albatross iza kuhlala apho kangangeminyaka embalwa. Xa sele ikhulile, ialbatross ibuyela eTairoa Head. Ngoxa iintaka ezindala zixakekile kukwakha iindlwane yaye zifukama, ialbatross esencinane ichitha ixesha layo iziqeqesha, idlala yaye iqhayisa ngobuchule bayo bokubhabha.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 25]

UKUTYELELA EKUPHELA KWENDAWO EZIHLALA KUYO IIROYAL ALBATROSS

Ndisengumntwana ndandikuthanda ukufunda amabali athetha ngealbatross, ngenxa yoko kudala ndifuna ukutyelela ekuphela kwendawo ezihlala kuyo iiroyal albatross. Yayiyimini enomoya yaye xa mna nomntu endandihamba naye sasisele sikufuphi sajonga esibhakabhakeni ukuze sibone iialbatross xa zibhabha. Sazibona. Njengokuba sasizibona samangaliswa zezi ncutshe zaziwa ngokubhabha!

Ukufika kwethu sahamba kangangeyure nelinye iqela nalo elalize kutyelela. Sincedwa yimifanekiso eqingqiweyo neevidiyo safunda ukuba iroyal albatross yakumntla inokuphila elwandle ubomi bayo bonke—de ilale emanzini! Enoba isemanzini okanye iyabhabha le ntaka iyamangalisa—yaye sinesinye isizathu sokuba sidumise uYehova uThixo ‘owadala zonke izinto.’—ISityhilelo 4:11.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

Inkunzi nemazi ziyatshintshana ngokugada nokondla intshontsho yaye xa lineenyanga ezintandathu ubudala linokuba nobunzima obuziikhilogram ezili-12

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24, 25]

ITaiaroa Head, ikhaya leroyal albatross yakumntla

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

Iroyal albatross yakumntla inokuphila elwandle ubomi bayo bonke—de ilale emanzini

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 23]

Top: © David Wall/Alamy; bottom: © Kim Westerskov/Alamy

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 25]

Background: © davidwallphoto.com; page 24, top: Tui De Roy/Roving Tortoise Photos; page 24, bottom: Courtesy Diarmuid Toman; page 25, albatross in flight: © Naturfoto-Online/Wolfgang Bittmann