Ukugcina iiFudo zaseLwandle – Imbono yoMfundi wangaphakathi

NguCampbell Howe, uMfundi woPhando, i-Ocean Foundation 

Ukutyhubela iminyaka, i-Ocean Foundation iye yavuyiswa kukubamba uphando kunye nabafundi abasafundayo abasincedileyo ukufezekisa injongo yethu nanjengoko befunda ngakumbi malunga nesijikelezi-langa sethu solwandle. Siye sacela abanye babo baqeqeshwayo ukuba babelane ngamava abo anxulumene nolwandle. Okulandelayo kukuqala kuthotho lwezithuba zeblogi zabafundi be-TOF.

Ukungena eSisekweni soLwandle kumisela isiseko somdla wam wolwandle. Ndisebenze ne-TOF iminyaka emithathu, ndifunda malunga nemigudu yokulondoloza ulwandle kunye namathuba kwihlabathi jikelele. Amava am olwandle ngaphambili ubukhulu becala abandakanya utyelelo elunxwemeni kunye nokuthandwa kwayo nayiphi na kunye nazo zonke ii-aquariums. Njengoko ndafunda ngakumbi malunga ne-TEDs (izixhobo zokukhutshwa kwe-turtle), i-Invasive Lionfish kwi-Caribbean, kunye nokubaluleka kwe-Seagrass meadows, ndaqala ukufuna ukuzibonela ngokwam. Ndiqale ngokufumana iLayisensi yam ye-PADI Scuba kwaye ndaya kuntywila eJamaica. Ndikhumbula kakuhle xa sabona usana lweHawksbill Sea Turtle ludlula, ngaphandle komgudu nangoxolo. Kwafika ixesha xa ndizifumana ndiselwandle, iikhilomitha ezingama-2000 ukusuka ekhaya, ndijongene nenyani eyahlukileyo.

Kubusuku bam bokuqala bepatroli ndazicingela, 'akukho ndlela yokuphumelela iinyanga ezintathu ezingakumbi…' Yayiziiyure ezine ezinesiqingatha zomsebenzi onzima ngokungalindelekanga. Iindaba ezimnandi zezokuba ngaphambi kokufika kwam, babebone kuphela imikhondo yamafudo ambalwa. Ngobo busuku sadibana nooOlive Ridley abahlanu njengoko babenyuka besuka elwandle besiya kwindlwane kunye neendlwane zezinye ezisixhenxe.

Kwindlwane nganye eyayinamaqanda aphakathi kwama-70 ukusa kwali-120, ngokukhawuleza baqalisa ukuthoba oobhaka neebhegi zethu njengoko sasiqokelela ukuze sizikhusele de ziqandusele. Emva kokuhamba malunga neekhilomitha ezi-2 elunxwemeni, kwiiyure ezi-4.5 kamva, sabuyela kwindawo yokuqandusela ukuze singcwabe kwakhona iindlwane ezifunyenweyo. Lo msebenzi unzima, unomvuzo, nosoloko umangalisa, waba bubomi bam kangangeenyanga ezintathu ezalandelayo. Ndifike njani apho?

Emva kokuphumelela kwiYunivesithi yaseWisconsin, eMadison ngo-2011, ndaye ndagqiba ekubeni ndiza kuzama isandla sam kulondolozo lolwandle kwelona nqanaba libalulekileyo: ebaleni. Emva kophando oluthile, ndafumana iNkqubo yoLondolozo lweTurtle yoLwandle ebizwa ngokuba yiPRETOMA eGuanacaste, eCosta Rica. I-PRETOMA yi-Costa Rican engenzi nzuzo enemikhankaso eyahlukeneyo egxile kulondolozo lwaselwandle kunye nophando kwilizwe lonke. Bazabalazela ukulondoloza ihammerheads kwiZiqithi zaseCocos kwaye basebenza nabalobi ukugcina amazinga okubambisa ngokuzinzileyo. Abantu abavela kwihlabathi liphela bafaka izicelo zokuvolontiya, ukufundela umsebenzi okanye ukuncedisa kuphando lwangaphandle. Kwinkampu yam kwakukho amaMerika ama-5, amaSpanish ama-2, amaJamani om-1 naba-2 baseCosta Rica.

Ndehla ndaya phaya ekupheleni kuka-Agasti 2011 njengoMncedisi weProjekthi ukuya kusebenza kunxweme olukude, i-19 Km ukusuka kwidolophu ekufutshane. Ulwandle lwalubizwa ngokuba yiPlaya Caletas kwaye inkampu yayidityaniswe phakathi kogcino lwemigxobhozo kunye noLwandlekazi lwePasifiki. Imisebenzi yethu yayiquka uluhlu olupheleleyo lwemisebenzi: ukusuka ekuphekeni ukuya ekuququzeleleni iibhegi zokugada ukuya ekubekeni iliso kwindawo yokuqandusela. Ubusuku ngabunye, mna kunye nabanye abancedisi beprojekthi sasithatha iiyure ezi-3 zokujikeleza elunxwemeni sikhangela iifudo zaselwandle ezizalela. Olu lwandle lwaluxhaphake ngu-Olive Ridleys, iGreens kunye ne-Leatherback esengozini ngamaxesha athile.

Xa sidibana nomzila, zonke izibane zethu zicinyiwe, sasilandela umzila osikhokelela kwindlwane, kwindlwane yobuxoki okanye ufudo. Xa sifumene ufudo luzalela, sasidla ngokuthatha yonke imilinganiselo yalo size siyiphawule. Iimfudo zaselwandle zihlala kwinto ebizwa ngokuba yi "trance" ngelixa i-nesting ukuze ingakhathazeki njengezibane okanye iziphazamiso ezincinci ezinokuthi zenzeke ngelixa sibhala idatha. Ukuba besinethamsanqa, ufudo beluya kube lugrumba indlwane yalo kwaye besingalinganisa ngokulula ubunzulu bokugqibela bendlwana kwaye ngaphandle komzamo wokuqokelela amaqanda njengoko ewabeka. Ukuba bekungenjalo, besiya kulinda ecaleni njengoko ufudo lungcwatywa luze ludibanise indlwane ngaphambi kokuba lubuyele elwandle. Emva kokuba sibuyele enkampini, naphi na phakathi kweeyure ezi-3 ukuya kwezi-5 kamva, iindlwane sasizingcwaba kubunzulu obufanayo nakwisakhiwo esifanayo njengoko zifunyenwe.

Ubomi basenkampini babungeyondlwan’ iyanetha. Emva kokugada indawo yokuqandusela kangangeeyure, kwakudimaza ngokwenene ukufumana indlwane kwikona ekude yonxweme, yombiwa, inamaqanda atyiwe yirakuni. Kwakunzima ukugada elwandle ndize ndifike kwindlwane eyayisele iqokelelwe ngumzingeli. Okona kubi kakhulu, kwakuxa ufudo lwaselwandle olukhule ngokupheleleyo lwaluhlamba elunxwemeni lwethu lusifa ngenxa yokugatyulwa ngumsi, ekunokwenzeka ukuba ubangelwe sisikhephe sokuloba. Ezi zehlo bezingenzeki manqaphanqapha kwaye ukusilela bekusidanisa sonke. Ezinye zeemfudo zaselwandle ezifayo, ukusuka emaqandeni ukuya kumantshontsho aqanduselwayo, zazithinteleka. Ezinye zazingenakuphepheka. Nokuba yeyiphi na indlela, iqela endandisebenza nalo laye lasondelelana kakhulu kwaye nabani na wayenokubona indlela esasikukhathalele ngayo ukusinda kolu hlobo.

Esinye isibakala esothusayo endasifumanisayo emva kweenyanga zam zokusebenza elunxwemeni yayikukuba ezi zilwanyana zincinane zaziethe-ethe kangakanani yaye kwakufuneka zinyamezele kangakanani ukuze ziphile. Kwakubonakala ngathi nasiphi na isilwanyana okanye imozulu yendalo yayisisongelo. Ukuba yayingeyontsholongwane okanye iintsholongwane, yayiyi-skunks okanye i-raccoons. Ukuba yayingengoonqevu noononkala yayirhaxwa kumnatha wabalobi! Kwanokutshintsha kwemozulu kunokubangela ukuba baphile kwiiyure zabo ezimbalwa zokuqala. Ezi zidalwa zincinane, zintsonkothileyo, nezimangalisayo zazibonakala zinazo zonke iingxaki. Maxa wambi kwakuba nzima ukubabukela besiya elwandle, besazi yonke into abaza kujamelana nayo.

Ukusebenza elunxwemeni lwe-PRETOMA kwakunomvuzo kwaye kuyakhathaza. Ndaziva ndihlaziyekile yindlwane enkulu esempilweni yofudo oluqanduselayo kwaye lugxadazela elwandle ngokukhuselekileyo. Kodwa sonke besisazi ukuba uninzi lwemicelimngeni ejongene nofudo lwaselwandle alukho ezandleni zethu. Asikwazanga ukulawula i-shrimpers engazange ivume ukusebenzisa i-TED's. Asizange siyithobe imfuneko yamaqanda ofudo lwaselwandle awayethengiswa emarikeni ukuze afumane ukutya. Umsebenzi wokuzithandela entsimini, udlala indima ebalulekileyo—akukho mathandabuzo ngako. Kodwa kusoloko kubalulekile ukukhumbula ukuba, njengakuzo zonke iinzame zolondolozo, kukho izinto ezintsonkothileyo kumanqanaba amaninzi ekufuneka ziqwalaselwe ukwenza impumelelo yokwenyani. Ukusebenza kunye ne-PRETOMA kunikeze imbono malunga nehlabathi lolondolozo endingazange ndiyazi ngaphambili. Ndibe nethamsanqa ukuba ndifunde konke oku ngelixa ndifumana i-biodiversity etyebileyo yaseCosta Rica, abantu abanesisa kunye neelwandle ezintle.

UCampbell Howe usebenze njengomfundi wophando kwi-Ocean Foundation ngelixa egqibezela isidanga sakhe sembali kwiYunivesithi yaseWisconsin. UCampbell wachitha unyaka wakhe omncinane ephesheya eKenya, apho esinye sezabelo zakhe sasisebenza nabalobi abakufutshane neLake Victoria.