Izidalwa Ezindizayo Zasekujuleni Kwamanzi

ANTWEZA kamnandi emanzini angasogwini nazungeze iziqhingi zolwandle. Angatholakala ekujuleni kwezilwandle, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kuyabanda noma kufudumele, angatholakala ngisho nakwamanye amachibi nemifula. Amani wona? Amalungu omkhaya wama-ray, izidalwa zasekujuleni kwamanzi ezibonakala sengathi ziyandiza!

Akudingeki ukuthi uze ube umtshuzi otshuza ekujuleni kolwandle ukuze ujabulele ukubuka ubuhle bokundiza kwe-ray, futhi akudingeki nokuthi uze ube semanzini. Njengoba uBart, isazi sezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle, ephawula, abantu abaya ebhishi bavame ukubona ama-ray anezimpiko egxumela ngaphandle kwamanzi.

Kunezinhlobo ezingamakhulu amaningana zama-ray, futhi ziyashiyana ngobukhulu, kusukela emasentimitheni ambalwa kuya kumamitha amaningana. Ungabona ukuthi ayefana nesihlobo sawo ushaka. Amaqanda ama-ray, ngokungafani nawezinhlanzi eziningi, avundiswa ngaphakathi emzimbeni wensikazi. Ama-skate, amalungu omkhaya wama-ray, azalela amaqanda asevundisiwe, kuyilapho amanye amaqanda ama-ray echanyuselwa ngaphakathi bese kuzalwa abantwana—abafana nabazali babo.

Phakathi kwalawo aziwa kakhulu kukhona ama-stingray, anomzimba ongenamathambo owenziwe ngoqwanga, ohlangothini ngalunye anephiko elisuka ekhanda lize lifike ekuqaleni komsila. Ama-stingray angamisa okwedayimane noma abe yindilinga, noma angase abukeke njenge-kite enomsila. Imizimba yawo eyizicaba iwenza angakwazi ukumelana namanzi. Ukunyakaza kwezimpiko zawo njengamagagasi, kuwanikeza amandla okutshuza olwandle sengathi ayazindizela nje. Lapho engabhukudi, ama-ray alala acashe ngaphansi kwesihlabathi.

Amehlo ama-stingray aphezu kwekhanda lawo, kanti umlomo ungaphansi. Anamazinyo aqinile nemihlathi eqinile, eyenza zikwazi ukufohloza amagobolondo. Yingakho nje engafunwa ezindaweni ezinama-oyster, ngoba ayazithanda izimbaza. Ama-stingray wona ngokwawo ayadliwa futhi ngezinye izikhathi asetshenziswa esikhundleni sama-scallop lapho kwenziwa ukudla.

Igama lawo elihlukile elithi stingray, livela emeveni anobuthi asohlangothini olungaphezulu lwemisila yawo emide. Lo msila ungalimaza ngenxeba elibuhlungu nelinoshevu uma i-ray inyathelwa, uma ibanjwe kabi noma lapho yethuswa yizitha. Kaningi ameva angena agxile, enze kube nzima ukuwakhipha, futhi angabangela ubuthi obukhulu uma inxeba lingelashwa ngokufanele. Uma kwenzeka untinyelwe i-ray, gezisisa ngamanzi lapho ikuntinyele khona—amanzi olwandle uma kudingekile. Ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka, faka inxeba emanzini ashisayo, ashisa ngendlela ongayibekezelela. Amanzi ashisayo abulala ubuthi futhi aqede izinhlungu. Bese uya kudokotela ngaphandle kokuchitha isikhathi.

Nakuba imisila yawo enameva ingase ikwesabise, ama-stingray awavamile ukuhlasela futhi ngokuvamile imisila yawo ayisebenzisa lapho esongelwa kuphela. UBart, okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni kwalesi sihloko, wawathola enobungane kakhulu ama-stingray lapho yena nomkakhe bebhukuda nawo eziQhingini zaseCayman endaweni evamile okwaziwa ukuthi yilapho abantu bepha khona ama-ray anobungane ukudla. Uyabika: “Sasiguqe ngamadolo phansi, emanzini angaba ngamamitha amahlanu ukujula. Lapho siqala ukuwapha ukudla, ama-stingray asizungeza! Mhlawumbe kwakunama-stingray angu-30 noma angu-40 ashiyanayo ngobukhulu ayesesizungezile. Efuna ukudla, ama-ray agibela emadolweni ethu akhuphukela emakhanda, ehla ngemihlane, ebhukuda kahle futhi esiqhukuzela ngisho nokudla okuncane. Kwakumangaza ukuthi kulula kangakanani ukulawula lezi zidalwa ezinhle. Aze asivumela ngisho nokuba siwahlikihle izisu njengoba ayehamba phezu kwethu.” UBart uphawula nokuthi la ma-ray asethobeke kakhulu kangangokuthi minyaka yonke abantu bebebhukuda nawo, akuzange kubikwe ukuthi aye abahlasela.

Labo bethu abangebona abatshuzi abanekhono bangajabulela ama-ray emanzini angashoni noma ezindaweni okugcinwa kuzo izilwane zasolwandle kuwo wonke umhlaba. Izindawo eziningi ezigcina izilwane zasolwandle, zinamadamu okudlalisa izinhlanzi anama-stingray, kodwa ameva awo aye akhishwa ukuze kuvinjelwe ingozi. URon Hardy, umnikazi weGulf World, ePanama City, eFlorida, uthi: “Amadamu ethu ongaphulula kuwo ama-stingray angesinye sezibonelo ezinhle kakhulu zekhono lokubukisa ngezilwane eziphilayo. Abantu babonakala bewesaba ama-stingray—kucishe kube isifo sokwesaba—kodwa ungabona ukuthi umbono wabo ushintsha kanjani lapho bezwa amaqiniso esibatshela wona! Ngemva kokuthinta eyodwa, baqala ukuncoma umusa nobuhle. Eqinisweni, abanye baphuthelwa umbukiso wamahlengethwa olandelayo, ukuze nje baqhubeke nama-stingray.”

Mhlawumbe manje njengoba usufunde okuthile ngama-ray, awusawesabi kakhulu. Nokho, khumbula ukuthi avame ukuzifihla ngaphansi kwesihlabathi emanzini afudumele angashoni. Ngakho-ke lapho uhamba emanzini ezindaweni ezinjalo, shishilizisa izinyawo zakho phansi esikhundleni sokuziphakamisa. Ngale ndlela uyoxwayisa ama-ray ukuthi uyeza ukuze ugweme ukunyathela i-ray futhi mhlawumbe uzwe ukuntinyela kwalesi sidalwa esihle esindizayo sasemanzini.

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

I-“stingray”

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Abantu babonakala bewesaba ama- “stingray,” kodwa isimo sabo sengqondo siyashintsha lapho befunda amaqiniso ngawo

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

I-“manta ray”

[Umthombo]

© Francois Gohier/ Photo Researchers