Ungase uzibuze ukuthi kubukeka kanjani ngaphansi kolwandle, mhlawumbe kunezitshalo njengalo mhlaba esiwujwayele? Uma ubheka ezinkundleni zokuxhumana, kunezithombe eziningi ezikhombisa umhlabathi, izindawo lapho kuhlala khona amakhulu ezilwane ezifana nezinhlanzi, nezinye eziyimibalabala ongeke usho ukuthi izilwane (buka isithombeni sokuqala), mhlawumbe inhlanzi emise okwenkanyezi (buka isithombe sesibili) lapha nalaphaya, noma izindaba ngokumbiwa komhlaba wasemanzini.
Into izinkundla zokuxhumana engakukhombisi yona, izinkulungwane zezilwane ezikwazi ukuphila ebumnyameni, lapho ezingabonwa nangumuntu oyedwa lo! Esinye salezi zilwane isilwane esingasifanisa nophaphe, ngesilungu sibizwa ngokuthi i-Sea pen (buka isithombe sesithathu). Omunye angasibuka asifanise nezitshalo ngoba phela sihlala emhlabathini, la khona esibukeka njengesinye sezitshalo esizibona mihla namalanga.
Ama sea pens ahlala olwandle, ezindaweni ezinzulu kakhulu, ezimnyama bhuqe! Ngangokuthi ungawathola ephila ekujuleni kolwandle lapho okungaba khona amamitha ayizinkulungwane eziyisithupha ngaphansi kwamanzi. Indima edlalwa ilesisilwane ibaluleke kakhulu kodwa abaningi abayazi. Lesi silwane ongasibuka usidelele, senza okuningi okungase kufaniswe nokwenziwa utshani emagcekeni ethu, kodwa ngokuphindaphindwe ngekhulu. Ukhumbule phela ukuthi utshani benza okuningi ngaphandle kokwenza umhlaba ubukeke umuhle kodwa lokhu siyokuxoxa ngelinye ilanga.
Lapho ama sea pens ahlala khona, ayakwazi ukushintsha ukuhamba kwamanzi ukuze akwazi ukuthola umsoco ongase ubekhona olwandle. Lomsoco ukudla kwawo ama sea pens, kanti futhi nezinye izilwane ezincane okwezintuthwane, phecelezi i-plankton, kanye nezinhlanzi ezidla lezi zilwanyana. Ngaphezu kwalokhu, ama sea pens, uma emaningi, aba yikhaya lezinye izilwane, wena owabona izinyoni ezihlahleni
Lezi zilwane kungaba izinhlanzi ezisencane, izilwane ezihlobene nezinkalankala (buka isithombe sesine) kanye nazo izinkalankala zase manzini uqobo, izinhlanzi ezimise okwezinkayenzi, kanye namaqanda ezinhlanzi uqobo. Zonke lezi zilwane, ziyahlala, zikhule, ziphinde zidle khona la kuma sea pens. Kungalokhuke izindawo ezinama sea pens zibonwa njengezindawo ezibaluleke kakhulu ekukhuseleni izinhlanzi emhlabeni jikelele, kakhulukazi Izihlanzi ezibalulekile futhi ezisetshenziswa ngabantu. Lezi izinhlanzi abanye abantu abaziphilisa ngazo ngokuzithengisa noma ngokuxosha ikati eziko.
Lokhu kuchaza ukuthi uma ngase sikhosele ama sea pens, ziningi ezinye izilwane esingazi khosela, kanti futhi singakha indawo la okungakhula khona izinhlanzi ezingondla umhlaba, ziphindi zakhe nemisebenzi. Ososayensi sebethole ukuthi ama sea pens angasiza ekulweni nesifo somdlavuza, kodwa lokhu kusadinga ukucwaningwa kabanzi.
Ezibuhlungu-ke izindaba ukuthi impilo yama sea pens isengcupheni. Lokhu kubangwa izindlela thina singabantu esidoba ngazo izinhlanzi olwandle. Lezi zindlela zivamise ukugugula umhlabathi, ikhaya lalezi zilwane ama sea pens. Lendlela yokudoba ithatha konke okusendleleni yayo, ayikhethi nje izinhlanzi kuphela.
Indawo ama sea pens akhula kuyona yenza kube nzima ukuthi akhule ngokushesha, okuchaza ukuthi ukungabi bikho kwama sea pens kuba nomthelela nakwezinye izilwane, okungase kwenze ukuthi ukwehla kabanzi kwisibalo sezilwane olwandle. Lokhu singakufanisa njengokugenca izihlahla ezinezithelo, izihlahla ezihlala yonke inhlobo yesinambuzane, izinhlobonhlobo zezinyoni kanye namaqanda alezi zinyoni. Ukugenca lesi sihlahla kuthinta izilwane eziningi.
Izilwane zasemanzini zibaluleke njengazo lezi ezingahlali emanzini, esizibona mihla namalanga. Kungakho ke senza imizamo yokufundisa abantu ngalezi zilwane ngoba phela akukho lula ukunakekela nokuvikela izinto ongaziboni. Sethemba ukusabalalisa ulwazi ngalemvelo enhle futhi ebaluleke kabanzi kuthina sonke, kanti futhi esingayivikela ezintweni ezenziwa yithina singabantu.
Author: Sinothando Shibe is a research assistant at the South African National Biological Institute (SANBI)/Nelson Mandela University (NMU) funded through the One Ocean Hub (UKRI GCRF Grant NE/S008950/1) . She has a MSc in Marine Biology from the Universty of KwaZulu-Natal.
