ICocos Island—Imibiko Yakhona Yamagugu Agqitshiwe

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eCosta Rica

KUNESIQHINGI esingamakhilomitha angaba ngu-480 eningizimu-ntshonalanga yogu lwaseCosta Rica esaziwa ngemibiko ethi kunamagugu agqitshwe khona. Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi uRobert Louis Stevenson wasekela incwadi yakhe ethi Treasure Island ekulandiseni okuphathelene namagugu abaphangi basolwandle agqitshwa lapho.

Abadwebi bamabalazwe namatilosi baye babiza lesi siqhingi ngamagama ahlukahlukene selokhu satholakala ekhulwini le-16 leminyaka. Phakathi kwabomdabu abakhuluma iSpanishi, namuhla lesi siqhingi saziwa ngokuthi Isla del Coco (Isiqhingi Sikakhukhunathi). NgesiNgisi kuthiwa iCocos Island.

Phakathi kweCosta Rica neGalápagos Islands, kunendawo eyizwe engaphansi kwamanzi eyaziwa ngokuthi iCocos Ridge. Ukuqhuma kwentaba-mlilo kulendawo kwaveza okuwukuphela kwesiqhingi sakulendawo. Lelizwe elincane elimigoxigoxi liwukuphela kwesiqhingi esikhulu empumalanga yePacific Ocean eshisayo esithola imvula eyanele ukusekela ihlathi lemvula lasendaweni eshisayo. Minyaka yonke lesi siqhingi sithola imvula engaba amamilimitha angu-7000!

Umlobi wezinkondlo waseNgilandi wekhulu le-18 uColeridge wachaza usizi lwetilosi lasendulo elalizungezwe “amanzi nxazonke, kodwa kungekho manzi okuphuza.” Nokho, phakathi nekhulu le-17 nele-18, amanzi angenasawoti aseCocos Island aba umthombo wasolwandle wamatilosi akwazi ukufinyelela kulesi siqhingi.

Indaba Yamagugu Afihliwe

Enkathini lapho ukuxhumana kwamazwe ngamazwe nezentengiselwano kwakuxhomeke khona ekusetshenzisweni kolwandle, ukuphanga kuhlonyiwe olwandle kwakuwuhlupho emphakathini. Abaphangi basolwandle nabo babesongelana.

Ngemva kokuba kuphangwe idolobhana elisogwini noma umkhumbi, amatilosi ayehlukaniselana impahla eyebiwe. Ngakho, umphangi ngamunye wayebhekana nenkinga yokuthi uzosifihla kanjani isabelo sakhe senzuzo etholwe ngobubi ukuze asebenza nabo bangasebi. Indlela eyakhethwa kwaba ukufihla lamagugu endaweni eyimfihlo ngethemba lokuwakhipha kamuva. Ibalazwe lalamagugu, elalinezimpawu ezingaqondakali ezazaziwa umnikazi walo kuphela, laba isihluthulelo sokuthola lamagugu afihliwe.

Omunye umbiko waseCocos Island ulandisa ukuthi ukuphangwa kwemikhumbi namadolobha ngokuphumelelayo oGwini lwasePacific lweMelika Ephakathi kwabangela ukuba elinye iqembu labaphangi libe nempahla eningi yegolide nezinto eziyigugu. Ngenxa yokuthi lesi siqhingi sasinensada yamanzi angenasawoti nenyama eningi (izingulube zalethwa lapho ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-18), ukaputeni womkhumbi waceba ukusebenzisa iCocos Island njengesizinda semisebenzi yakhe.

Ngokokulandisa okuthile, ukuhlukanisa lempango kwathatha usuku lonke. Igolide lalilinganiswa ngezimbiza. Ngenxa yokwesaba ukuphangwa ingcebo yabo yizisebenzi ezikanye nabo ezihahayo, bonke laba baphangi banquma ukugqiba isabelo sabo samagugu ndawana-thile esiqhingini. Esebenzisa izindophi ukuze acace amawa asabalele ogwini lwalesi siqhingi, umphangi ngamunye wangena ehlathini. Nakuba abanye babethemba inkumbulo yabo, abanye babuya bephethe amabalazwe ayeqondwa yibo kuphela, ayengabaholela emagugwini abo futhi. Nokho, wonke lomzamo wokuzikhandla waba yize. Lokhu kulandisa kuqhubeka kuthi ngemva kokuthukusa impahla yabo, laba baphangi bangena emkhunjini beyofuna ingcebo eyengeziwe. Lapho befika ethekwini elilandelayo, ukaputeni, esaba ukuvukelwa, wabaleka ngomkhumbi ngemva kokuthumela labo ayebasola njengamambuka ogwini. Ithemba ayenalo lokuthi babeyotholwa bengabaphangi futhi balengiswe lacishe lafezeka. Angakucabanganga yikhono lezisebenzi ezimbili eziphethe lokwenza isivumelwano neziphathimandla ezazifuna ukubamba ukaputeni. IButho Lemikhumbi LaseBrithani lakhipha umkhumbi owaxosha umkhumbi kakaputeni, futhi lokhu kwaholela ekubanjweni nasekufeni kwakhe namatilosi akhe.

Kuleminyaka eyikhulu edlule, lombiko uye washukumisa amathemba abantu abafuna amagugu. Kodwa, njengoba kubonisa ukulandisa okulandelayo, abafuna ukuhlwaya lamagugu kufanele bacabangisise ngaphambi kokuthatha uhambo lokuyokumba eCocos Island. Isihloko esanyatheliswa kuyi-New York Times ka-August 14, 1892, sachaza ukuzimisela kukaKaputen’u-August Gisler ukuthola ingcebo yegolide, isiliva nezinto zokuhloba ezibiza amaRandi angu-266 000 000. Ukuhlwaya amagugu kukaGisler kwakuhilela ukuzehlukanisa nempucuko nokuzichaya ezimweni ezibucayi kakhulu kulesi siqhingi esiyihlathi esingahlali muntu. Wachitha okungenani imali yakhe engamaRandi angu-221 500 neminyaka engaphezu kwengu-19 efuna lengcebo. Ngo-1908, uGisler wahamba eCocos Island, engenamali futhi enomoya owaphukileyo, engenayo ingcebo yokubonisa umvuzo womzamo wakhe.

Iqiniso lokuthi uGisler akazange athole ngcebo kulesi siqhingi alibadumazanga bonke abantu. Kuye kwaba nemikhankaso ehleliwe engaphezu kwengu-500 yokuya kulesi siqhingi. Ngokokwaziswa okutholakalayo, awukho nowodwa oye wavundulula ingcebo okukhulunywa ngayo.

Amagugu Emvelo ECocos Island

Muva nje, uhlobo oluhlukile lomhlwayi wengcebo luye lwakhangwa yiCocos Island. Abathandi bemvelo nezazi zayo kanye nabanye ososayensi baye bakhangwa uhlaza nezilwane zalesi siqhingi kanye neqoqo lezinto eziphila emanzini azungeze lendawo.

Lesi siqhingi sinohlaza oluhle okukhephuzelayo lwasezindaweni ezishisayo. Kuye kwatholakala izinhlobo ezingu-450 zezinambuzane nezilwanyana ezinamagobolondo, nakuba kulinganiselwa ukuthi kunezinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-800 kulesi siqhingi. Kunemifula engu-28, ezungeza indawo emigoxigoxi futhi egeleza emaweni njengezimpophoma ezinhle.

Enye yezinhlobo zezinyoni ezingu-97 kulesi siqhingi i-white tern. Inomkhuba othakazelisayo wokutshuza emoyeni phezu kwamakhanda abantu, ibonakala ingabesabi abantu abavakashela kulesi siqhingi. Lokhu kuthambekela okuthakazelisayo kuye kwenza lenyoni yathola isidlaliso seSpanishi esithi espíritu santo, noma umoya ongcwele, kubhekiselwa ekulandiseni kweBhayibheli ngobhapathizo lukaJesu.—Bheka uMathewu 3:16.

Ekujuleni emanzini azungeze iCocos Island kunendawo enenala yamagugu emvelo. Phakathi kwabathandi bemvelo abavakashela lesi siqhingi kunezinhlambi zama-scuba, ezimangalayo lapho zithola inqwaba yoshaka okuthiwa ama-hammerhead. Oshaka okuthiwa ama-hammerhead kanye nama-white-tipped batholakala kulamanzi futhi baye babonakala behamba ngamaqembu aphakathi kwabangu-40 nabangu-50. Izinhlambi zihlatshwa umxhwele nawukucweba kwamanzi okukhulu. Zikhangwa imibalabala yezinhlanzi njengoba zidla ulwelwe kanye nezilwanyana nezithombo zasemanzini.

Izwe laseCosta Rica liwazisa kakhulu amagugu alo angokwemvelo. Okwamanje, amaphesenti angu-18 ezwe lakhona abiyelwe njengamapaki ombuso okulondoloza imvelo neziqiwu. Ngo-1978, iCocos Island yafakwa ngaphansi kwalolo hlelo, manje olunezindawo ezivikelwe ezingu-56 kulelizwe. Ngo-1991 indawo ebiyelwe yandiswa ukuze ihlanganise umngcele ozungeze isiqhingi ongamakhilomitha angu-24. Kuyinselele ukugada nokuvikela indawo yasolwandle ukuze kungadotshwa kuyo ngenjongo yezentengiselwano. Abalondolozi bemvelo besaba ukuthi ukudoba okungalawulwa kungase kulimaze indawo entekenteke nezinto eziphila emanzini azungeze lesi siqhingi.

Kuze kube manje, iCocos Island isaziwa ngemibiko yabaphangi basolwandle abayiziqhwaga namagugu abo agqitshiwe. Isakhanga abahlwayi bengcebo bomhlaba wonke. Nokho, ingcebo yalesi siqhingi enkulu kakhulu isemithonjeni yayo engokwemvelo.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 25]

Pictures on pages 25-6: Courtesy of José Pastora, Okeanos

[Izithombe ekhasini 26]

Oshaka abangama-“white-tipped” (1) kanye nama-“hammerhead” (2, 3) bazungeza amanzi aseCocos Island bengamaqembu aphakathi kwabangu-40 nabangu-50