Igophe Elithi Ndijonge
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EMEXICO
PHAKATHI kweMexico nencam yeBaja eKhalifoniya kukho igophe laseKhalifoniya elibizwa ngokuba yiturquoise (eliboniswe ngezantsi), elalisakufudula libizwa ngokuba luLwandle lwaseCortes. Inxalenye yolu nxweme lugudle intlango neziqithi ezinamatye, iZizwe Ezimanyeneyo ziye zalumisela njengendawo Ebalulekileyo Ehlabathini (World Heritage site). Yintoni eyenza ikhetheke kangaka le ndawo?
Eli Gophe laseKhalifoniya linobude obuziikhilomitha ezili-1000 nobubanzi obungangeekhilomitha ezili-153, lihle kwaye linezinto ezininzi eziphila kulo. Eli gophe lelona linamaza aphakamileyo, akhula alingane neemitha ezili-9 kummandla ongasentla. Ekubeni kuhlala kufudumele aze namaza eze namanzi anezityalo nezilwanyana ezininzi ezincinane loo nto yenza zibe ninzi izinto eziphila kweli gophe. Ezi zinto sizikhankanye ngasentla namanzi acwengileyo eli gophe abangela ukuba uJacques-Yves Cousteau athi eli gophe “ngumzi wokugcina iintlanzi ehlabathini.”
Ekubeni lineentlobo ngeentlobo zeentlanzi ezingaphezu kwama-890, ama-90 ekhulwini ezi ntlanzi afumaneka apha kuphela, eli gophe kulapho kufundwa khona ngezidalwa eziphila elwandle. Ezinye iintlanzi zincipha, njengentlanzi ebizwa ngokuba yivaquita.
Eyona incinane kolu hlobo lwentlanzi ikhulu ilingane neesentimitha ezili-150. Ibala layo liyatshintshatshintsha ibe ngwevu okanye ibe mdaka, yaye inezibhaxu ezimnyama ngasemehlweni. Le ntlanzi ifumaneka kwichweba loMlambo iColorado elingena kweli gophe, incinane ayifane ibonakale yaye abantu abaninzi abayazi. Yayingaziwa kwade kwangowe-1958 xa kwafunyanwa ukhakhayi lweentlanzi ezintathu kunxweme lwaseBaja eKhalifoniya.
Ekubeni ezi ntlanzi zingaphantsi kwama-600, kuthiwa zisecicini lokuphela. Nangona zikhuselwe, abantu abakayeki ukuziloba. Zikhuselwe kuba kusenzelwa ukuba zingapheli, urhulumente waseMexico unomyezo omtsha wokulondoloza indalo oquka inxalenye ehlala ezi ntlanzi. Zikwakho nezinye izilwanyana ezihlala kweli gophe, ezinye zifudukela apha ngamaxesha athile onyaka.
Emazantsi enzonzobileni yeli gophe, izazinzulu ziye zafumana iintlobo ezithile zezinto eziphilayo ezingazange zibonwe ngabantu. Isizathu kukuba zihlala emngxunyeni olingana neemitha ezingama-2 000 ubunzulu. Le nzonzobila ihlala izidalwa eziphila ngamandla avela emanzini kungekhona kwimitha yelanga.
Nangona izinto eziphila kweli gophe zisemngciphekweni, lisekho ithemba noko. Njani? Kaloku uMdali uyakhathala. Kangangokuba ewukhathalele umhlaba uza kungenelela kungekudala ukuze awukhusele ungonakaliswa kakhulu aze awubuyisele kwinjongo yakhe yantlandlolo. (Genesis 1:26-28; ISityhilelo 11:18) Kunzima ukuba nomfanekiso ngqondweni wendlela eliya kuba lihle ngayo eli gophe. Enyanisweni igama elithi “ndijonge” liya kuba lelifanelekileyo.
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Umnenga
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IiTube worm
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Satellite view: NASA/The Visible Earth (http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/); reef: © Dirscherl Reinhard/age fotostock
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Beach: Mexico Tourism Board; whale: © Mark Jones/age fotostock; tube worms: © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution