Izixhobo Zamakhorali ZaseBelize—Indawo Eyingcebo Yomhlaba

Izixhobo Zamakhorali ZaseBelize—Indawo Eyingcebo Yomhlaba

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EMEXICO

“Ukuwohloka noma ukunyamalala kwanoma yini eyingcebo ngokwesiko noma ngokwemvelo kuwukucekelwa phansi okubi kwengcebo yawo wonke amazwe omhlaba. . . . Umphakathi womhlaba wonke kudingeka uhlanganyele ekuvikelweni kwengcebo engokwesiko nengokwemvelo eyigugu kuwo wonke umhlaba.”—Kuthathwe kuyi-World Heritage Convention ye-UNESCO.

NGOKUVUMELANA namazwi angenhla, iBelize Barrier-Reef Reserve System yamiswa njengeNgcebo Yomhlaba ngo-1996. Ngakho yafakwa ohlwini olufanayo neMachu Picchu ePeru, iGrand Canyon e-United States, nezinye izindawo ezinjalo ezimangalisayo emhlabeni jikelele. Yini eyenza le ndawo ibe ‘igugu kuwo wonke umhlaba’?

Ingcebo Okufanele Ilondolozwe

IBelize Barrier Reef ingeyesibili ngobukhulu ezixhotsheni eziphilayo zamakhorali emhlabeni ngemva kweGreat Barrier Reef yase-Australia, futhi yinde kunazo zonke eNtshonalanga Nenkabazwe. Ihlanganisa indawo engamakhilomitha angu-300 eNhlonhlweni yaseYucatán, kuhlanganise nengxenye enkulu yogu lwezwe laseBelize, eMelika Ephakathi. Ngaphandle kwalezi zixhobo ngokwazo—empeleni eziwuchungechunge—le ndawo yokulondoloza imvelo ihlanganisa neziqhingana ezingaba ngu-450 kanye nezixhobo ezingamaqoqo amathathu ayisiyingi azungeze amachweba amahle. Izindawo ezingu-7 zezilwane zasolwandle ezikule ndawo, ezihlanganisa amakhilomitha-skwele angu-960, zivikelwe ngokuqondile ngaphansi kwe-World Heritage Convention.

Kubalulekile ukulondoloza izixhobo zamakhorali ngoba ziyikhaya lengxenye yesine yezilwane nezitshalo zasolwandle ezisemhlabeni. Yebo, izixhobo zamakhorali zidlulwa amahlathi emvula kuphela ngobuningi bezinto eziphila kuzo. Noma kunjalo, ososayensi baxwayisa ngokuthi amaphesenti angu-70 azo zonke izixhobo zamakhorali kule planethi azoqothulwa ingakapheli iminyaka engu-20 kuya kwengu-40 ezayo, ngaphandle uma abantu beyeka ukungcolisa ulwandle ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene, benqanda ukungalawulwa kwezivakashi kanye nemikhuba ebhubhisayo, njengokudoba ngokusebenzisa i-cyanide (ikhemikhali enobuthi).

Kuye kwatholakala izinhlobo ezingu-70 zamakhorali aqinile, ezingu-36 zamakhorali athambile kanye nezinhlobo ezingu-500 zezinhlanzi eBelize Barrier-Reef Reserve System. Iyikhaya lezilwane zasolwandle ezisengcupheni noma ezisongelwayo, njengezimfudu ama-loggerhead, ama-green nama-hawksbill, kanye ne-manatee nezingwenya zaseMelika. Ekhuluma ngezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphila olwandle kule ndawo, umcwaningi wezixhobo zamakhorali uJulianne Robinson uthi: “IBelize Barrier Reef System ivulela abacwaningi kanye nezivakashi amathuba amaningi ayingqayizivele. . . . Ingenye yezindawo ezimbalwa ezisasele lapho ungabona khona ubuhle bemvelo obukhexisayo, kodwa noma kunjalo iyasongelwa.”

Mhlawumbe usongo olukhulu ezixhotsheni zamakhorali zaseBelize ukuphupha kwazo, okwenza zilahlekelwe imibala yazo ehlukahlukene. (Bheka ibhokisi elisekhasini 26.) I-National Geographic News ibika ukuthi ngo-1997 no-1998 kwaphupha amakhorali amaningi ngesikhathi seSiphepho uMitch, okwaphumela ekuncipheni kwamakhorali aphilayo ngamaphesenti angu-48. Wabangelwa yini lo monakalo? Nakuba kusenziwa ucwaningo, usosayensi wezixhobo zamakhorali uMelanie McField uthi: “Lokhu kuphupha kwamakhorali kuhlobene kakhulu nokwenyuka kwezinga lokushisa olwandle. . . . Ukukhanya kwe-ultraviolet nakho kuyawaphuphisa amakhorali, futhi inhlanganisela yalokhu okubili yenza amakhorali aphuphe ngezinga elibi kakhulu.” Nokho, kuyajabulisa ukuthi izixhobo zamakhorali zaseBelize zibonakala zisimama kancane kancane.a

Ipharadesi Elingaphansi Kwamanzi

Ababhukudi bayawathanda kakhulu amanzi acwebile alezixhobo zamakhorali zaseBelize, anezinga lokushisa elingaba ngu-26°C. Amaphesenti angu-90 awo awakahlolwa. Ziqhele ngamamitha angamakhulu ambalwa nje eSan Pedro e-Ambergris Cay futhi kulula ukufinyelela kuzo uma ulapho. Ebangeni elingamakhilomitha ayisithupha eningizimu-mpumalanga yeSan Pedro kuneHol Chan Marine Reserve, ipaki elingaphansi kwamanzi angajulile elingamakhilomitha-skwele angu-8 elinentunja enqamula ezixhotsheni.

Enye yezindawo ezivelele kakhulu zokubhukuda emhlabeni iBlue Hole, indawo eyiNgcebo Yomhlaba evikelwe kulesi sigodi, eqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba yikhulu ukusuka eBelize, eLighthouse Reef. Yaduma ngenxa yesazi solwandle saseFrance uJacques-Yves Cousteau phakathi nohambo lwaso lwango-1970 ngomkhumbi wokucwaninga i-Calypso. Njengoba isemanzini olwandle aluhlaza, iBlue Hole iwumgodi wegwadle oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ozungezwe amakhorali aphilayo. Ingaba amamitha angu-300 ububanzi futhi ingamamitha angaphezu kwangu-120 ukujula. Ngaphambi kokuba kwenyuke izinga lamanzi olwandle, le ndawo eyingqayizivele yayiwumhume owomile ongaphansi komhlaba, kodwa kamuva uphahla lwawo lwabhidlika. Izindonga zayo zehla ngamamitha angaba ngu-35, bese kuba namatshe ama-stalactite akhula emachosheni azo ashone phansi ekujuleni. Le ndawo ewumbukwane engaphansi kwamanzi iyesabeka, futhi umuntu ukwazi ukubona indawo eyibanga elingamamitha angu-60. Ngaphandle koshaka, aziziningi izilwane ezitholakala kulesi sigodi. Ababhukuda nge-scuba kufanele baqaphele ukuthi le ndawo ifuna banciphise umfutho wamanzi lapho bekhuphuka futhi akufanele kungene abantu abangenalwazi. Nokho, kunethuba elihle lokusebenzisa i-snorkel emanzini acwebile azungezwe yizixhobo.

Eduze kunenye yezindawo ezingu-7 eziyiNgcebo Yomhlaba, iHalf Moon Cay, eyisiqhingi esihle esiyisiphephelo senyoni i-booby engavamile enezinyawo ezibomvu. Kuye kwatholakala nezinye izinhlobo ezingaba ngu-98 zezinyoni kule ndawo. Ukubhukuda ngaseHalf Moon Cay Wall, embozwe amakhorali amahle athambile eyehlela ngamamitha ayinkulungwane, kuwumbukwane.

Njengoba ungase ubone kulolu hambo olufushane lwaseBelize Barrier Reef, kunesizathu esihle sokulondoloza leli gugu ukuze lijatshulelwe yizizukulwane ezizayo. Ukushabalala kwalo ngempela kungaba “ukucekelwa phansi okubi kwengcebo yawo wonke amazwe.”

[Umbhalo waphansi]

a Mhlawumbe kuncane abantu bendawo abangakwenza ngokufudumala kwembulunga yonke okubangela ukwenyuka kwezinga lokushisa lamanzi olwandle, kodwa ukufakwa kwalezi zixhobo ohlwini lweNgcebo Yomhlaba kuye kwakhuthaza abantu baseBelize ukuba bazimisele kakhudlwana ukuzivikela.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 26]

Ukuphupha Kwamakhorali

Izixhobo ziwudonga oluphilayo olwakhiwa amaqoqo ezilwane ezidla ezinye okuthiwa ama-polyp, anoqweqwe oluqinile lwe-calcium carbonate, noma igwadle. Amakhorali aphilayo akhela phezu kwamathambo omile ezizukulwane ezingaphambili. Ubulembu obuncane (ama-zooxanthella) buhlala ezicutshini zezixhobo zamakhorali futhi busizana nazo, bukhipha umoya-mpilo nezakhi ezidliwa ama-polyp, bumunce isikhutha esikhishwa ama-polyp. Njengoba ezwela lapho kushintsha izinga lokushisa lamanzi, ama-polyp aqala ukuxosha ubulembu lapho izinga lokushisa likhuphuka, okuwenza alahlekelwe umbala we-chlorophyll, okuphumela ekuphupheni kwawo. Uma ebuthaka ngale ndlela, amakhorali angangenwa yizifo kalula abese efa. Nokho, izixhobo zamakhorali ziqinile futhi zingasimama uma zivikelwa.

[Umthombo]

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 23]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Mexico

BELIZE

Caribbean Sea

Pacific Ocean

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Isithombe sesiphuphutheki seBelize esibonisa lezi zixhobo ezingamakhilomitha angu-300

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

ERendezvous Cay

[Umthombo]

[Isithombe ekhasini 24, 25]

IBlue Hole eLighthouse Reef, eyakheka lapho kubhidlika umhume wegwadle

[Umthombo]

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Ufudu lwasolwandle i-“hawksbill”

[Isithombe ekhasini 25]

IBelize Barrier Reef iyikhaya lezinhlobo zezinhlanzi ezingu-500

[Umthombo]

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 23]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24]