Izilwane Ezinkulu Ezikhangayo ZaseNyakatho Canada

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eCanada

“INKOSI YaseNyakatho” “namaKhosi Ase-Arctic” iziqu eziphawulekayo okubizwa ngazo amabhele angu-30 000 asezindaweni ezineqhwa azulazula kuyo yonke iNyakatho Polar Basin.

Kunamanani ahlukahlukene amaningi amabhele asezindaweni ezineqhwa. Elinye iqembu liye lakhetha njengendawo yalo ugu oluseningizimu-ntshonalanga yeHudson Bay yaseCanada, kusukela esiQhingini sase-Akimski eJames Bay kuya eChesterfield Inlet, ngasenyakatho. Ngakho, iChurchill, eManitoba, eyakhiwe phakathi kwalezizindawo zombili, iye yabizwa ngokuthi “idolobha elivelele emhlabeni wonke ngokuba namabhele asezindaweni ezineqhwa.”

Ibhele leduna lasezindaweni ezineqhwa liyaluza endaweni yalo ngelukuluku lokufuna ukwazi nangokungakhathali. Lokhu kuye kwalitholela igama elisankondlo lesi-Inuit elithi Pihoqahiak, elisho ukuthi “ohlala eyaluza.”

Abahloli bamazwe basenyakatho bakudala bahlatshwa umxhwele yilamabhele asezindaweni ezineqhwa. UJohn Muir, isazi sesayensi yemvelo saseMelika, walichaza ‘njengesilwane esihle kakhulu futhi esinamandla kakhulu, esiphila ngokuba nesibindi nangokufudumala phakathi neqhwa elihlala likhona.’

Nakuba enesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-450 kuya kwangu-640, cishe ashesha njengekati. Esinye isazi sesayensi yezinto eziphilayo sathi: “Anjengamakati amakhulu. Ayikholeki ngokuphelele indlela ashesha ngayo—ayive ingakholeki indlela agijima ngayo.”

Ukuhlangana Ngokobulili Nokuhlala Emhumeni

Ibhele leduna alithandi ‘ukunakekela umkhaya.’ Ngemva kokuhlangana ngokobulili, lishiya elensikazi nawo wonke umthwalo wemfanelo wokukhulisa amawundlu. Iqanda elihlangene nesidoda elikumama lihlukana kaningi, bese lingabe lisahlukana ezinyangeni ezine noma ezinhlanu ezilandelayo.

Lapho kwakheka umbungu futhi kuqala inqubo yokukhula, insikazi igubha umhume emlaleleni weqhwa ojule kakhulu engawuthola noma enhlabathini eseduze nogu lwechibi. Lapho ihlala ingenakudla, ingachami futhi ingazikhululi kuze kube sekupheleni kuka-March.

Umhume wakhiwe kahle. Kusukela emlonyeni wawo, kuya endaweni enkulu yokuhlala kunomhubhe okhuphuka ube ngamamitha amabili. Lapha ukushisa okuphuma emzimbeni wayo kuyavaleleka, kangangokuba ngokuvamile lomhume ushisa ngama-degree Celsius angu-20 ngaphezu kwalokho izinga lokushisa eliyikho ngaphandle. Imbotshana esophahleni ikhipha umoya omdala. Indawo yaphansi entsha, uma idingeka, yenziwa ngokugandaya iqhwa eliphalwe ophahleni.

Ubungalindela ukuba ibhele elikhulu kanjalo lizale amawundlu amakhulu njengalo kodwa amawundlu asanda kuzalwa anesisindo esiyingxenye yekhilogremu kuphela! Ngokuvamile azalwa ngo-December noma ekuqaleni kuka-January.

Njengoba ezalwa eyizimpumputhe futhi eyizithulu, amawundlu anovolo ontofontofo ongekho ezidladleni nasemakhaleni awo. Ngamazipho amise okwesikela, lamawundlu akhasa angene ngaphansi koboya bukanina ukuze ancele ubisi lwakhe olunothile, olunokhilimu, olunambitheka njenge-cod-liver-oil.

Ngokuvamile izinsikazi zizala amawundlu angamawele njalo ngemva kweminyaka emithathu ezindaweni eziningi zaseNyakatho. Nokho, lezo ezisendaweni yaseHudson Bay, ngezinye izikhathi ziba namawundlu amathathu, futhi ngesinye isikhathi amane, njalo ngemva kweminyaka emibili. Lamawundlu akhula ngokushesha. Ngemva kwezinsuku ezingaba ngu-26, aqala ukuzwa imisindo ngokokuqala ngqá. Ezinsukwini eziyisikhombisa kamuva amehlo awo ayavuleka. Uvolo azalwa nawo uphenduka uboya bangempela, obunohlonze kakhudlwana.

Ngasekupheleni kuka-March, umkhaya uyaphuma emhumeni uphumele ekukhanyeni kwelanga lasentwasahlobo e-Arctic. Njengoba kunensada yeqhwa lapha, amawundlu ayazigingqagingqa. Lapho ethola indawo ewummango, ehla ehuhuluza kuyo ngezisu zawo ezincane ezikhuluphele, izidladla zangaphambili nemilenze yangemuva ivulekile, awele ezingalweni zikanina eziwalindele.

Ngezinye izikhathi amawundlu akuthola kunzima ukulandela ezinyathelweni zikanina eqhweni elijulile. Liba yini ikhambi? Phela, abeletha kunina! Ngesinye isikhathi umthwebuli wezithombe wabona amabhele ezinsikazi, ayephazanyiswe indiza enophephela emhlane, ebaleka amawundlu awo ebelethe “njengabagibeli bamahhashi abancane abathukile.”

Ngokucophelela, unina uwaqeqesha isikhathi esingaba iminyaka emibili nengxenye. Khona-ke ube esewashiya. Manje lamabhele amancane sekumelwe azibonele.

Ezinye izici

Ngokwesihloko esikumagazini othi Life, “amabhele asezindaweni ezineqhwa ayizinhlambi ezinemilenze emine ezinamandla kunazo zonke emhlabeni.” Angabhukuda emakhekhebeni eqhwa anqamule izingu ezibanzi. Njengoba amanzi noma amakhekheba eqhwa kunganamatheli eboyeni bawo obunamafutha, ukuzithintitha kahle kuvuthulula amathonsana amaningi. Ukuzigingqa nje eqhweni elomile kukhipha noma yimuphi umswakama osele, futhi emizuzwini embalwa nje uboya busuke sebomile.

Ososayensi basanda kuziqaphela muva nje izimfihlo ezimangalisayo zoboya bebhele. Indlela ukukhanya okungena futhi kuphume ngayo kubo ayisizi nje kuphela ekugcineni umzimba ufudumele kodwa futhi yenza uboya bubukeke bukhazimula.a

Kodwa kwenzeka kanjani ukuba angaduki olwandle oluguquguqukayo lwase-Arctic, olunezici ezimbalwa, uma zikhona, ezihlala njalo ezingase ziwasize ukuba ahambe emanzini angaduki? Ngokwencwadi ethi Arctic Dreams, ibhele “kumelwe libe nebalazwe enhloko . . . Inkumbulo ayisizi ngalutho. Ukuthi amabhele awakha futhi awasebenzise kanjani amabalazwe anjalo kuwumbuzo oyindida kunayo yonke ngokuphathelene nawo.” Angazulazula amasonto amaningi kodwa angalahleki.

Nakuba kungavamile ukuba amabhele asezindaweni ezineqhwa ahlasele abantu, izivakashi kudingeka ziwahloniphe amandla awo amakhulu nokushesha kwawo. Yona kanye lencwadi yathi: “Empeleni amabhele asezindaweni ezineqhwa anamahloni futhi awanalo uchuku, ikakhulukazi uma eqhathaniswa namabhele ansundu.” Nokho, angase akumangaze, ngoba izinyawo zawo ezimbozwe uboya zenza izigi zawo zicishe zingezwakali.

Ukuvakashela Ibhele Lasezindaweni Ezineqhwa

Singazivakashela kanjani lezizilwane ezithakazelisayo? Ososayensi baye bakha imibhoshongo yensimbi engamamitha angu-14 eduze kogu lwaseHudson Bay lapho amabhele eqondiswa khona.

AmaTundra Buggy ayatholakala edolobheni laseChurchill ukuze asetshenziswe izivakashi ezibuka izwe. Lezi izimoto ezinkulu, ezinompheme owakhiwe ngensimbi, ezilayisha abagibeli abaningi abasohambweni lokubuka izindawo. Ngezinye izikhathi kuyenzeka ukuba ulibukele eduze ibhele lapho lincika emphemeni wensimbi noma liwushaya ngesidladla lapho lifuna ukudonsa ukunakekela noma lifuna ukuphiwa ukudla.

Siyethemba ukujabulele lokhu kuvakashela amabhele amakhulu aseNyakatho, okubikwa ukuthi aphakathi kwezilwane eziyishumi “ezithandwa kakhulu” emhlabeni. Ngempela, ayizidalwa ezinhle, umkhiqizo woMdali ohlakaniphe kakhulu, owawanikeza ikhono lokuzivumelanisa nalezindawo ezinkulu zomhlaba ezineqhwa zaseNyakatho Polar Basin.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Unina uqeqesha amawundlu akhe isikhathi esingaba iminyaka emibili nengxenye

[Izithombe ekhasini 25]

Amaduna amancane ayakujabulela ukulwa kokudlala, bese ezipholisa eqhweni

[Umthombo]

All photos: Mike Beedell/Adventure Canada