I-Grey Whales Igcinwe E-Baja California

Ngu-Mark J. Spalding, uMongameli, i-Ocean Foundation

Le bhulogi ekuqaleni yavela ku-National Geographic's Ukubukwa kwe-Oceans.

Isikhathi sokufuduka komkhomo ompunga ogwini olusentshonalanga yeNyakatho Melika.

Imikhomo empunga yenza uhambo olude kunawo wonke kunoma yisiphi isilwane esincelisayo Emhlabeni. Minyaka yonke zibhukuda amakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-10,000 11 ukuya nokubuya phakathi kwamachweba asenkulisa aseMexico nasezindaweni zokudla e-Arctic. Ngalesi sikhathi sonyaka, i-whale yokugcina yomama ifika izobeletha futhi eyokuqala yabesilisa isendleleni eya enyakatho-i-XNUMX ibonwe ngesonto lokuqala lokubuka isiteshi sika-Santa Barbara. Ichweba lizobe ligcwele izingane ezisanda kuzalwa njengoba isikhathi sokuzala sifinyelela umvuthwandaba.

Omunye wemikhankaso yami yokuqala emikhulu yokongiwa kwasolwandle kwakuwukusiza ngokuvikela i-Laguna San Ignacio e-Baja California Sur, indawo yokuqala yokuzalanisa imikhomo empunga kanye nechweba lechweba—futhi namanje, ngikholelwa ukuthi, enye yezindawo ezinhle kakhulu Emhlabeni. Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1980, iMitsubishi yahlongoza ukusungula umsebenzi omkhulu kasawoti eLaguna San Ignacio. Uhulumeni waseMexico uthambekele ekuyigunyazeni ngenxa yezizathu zokuthuthukiswa komnotho, naphezu kweqiniso lokuthi leli chibi linegama eliningi njengendawo evikelekile ezweni nasemhlabeni jikelele.

Umkhankaso ozimisele weminyaka emihlanu udonse izinkulungwane zabaxhasi abasekela umzamo wamazwe ngamazwe owaqaliswa ngokubambisana okuhlanganisa izinhlangano eziningi. Izihlabani zamabhayisikobho nabaculi abadumile bahlanganyele nezishoshovu zendawo kanye nabakhankasi baseMelika ukumisa imisebenzi kasawoti futhi balethe ukunaka kwamanye amazwe osizini lomkhomo ompunga. Ngo-2000, iMitsubishi yamemezela inhloso yayo yokuhoxisa izinhlelo zayo. Sasinqobile!

Ngo-2010, omakadebona balowo mkhankaso bahlangana kwelinye lamakamu ase-Laguna San Ignacio ukuzogubha iminyaka engu-10 yalokho kunqoba. Sathatha izingane zomphakathi wendawo saphuma nazo ohambweni lwazo lokuqala lokubuka imikhomo—okuwumsebenzi ohlinzeka imikhaya yazo yokuphila kwasebusika. Iqembu lethu lalihlanganisa abakhankasi abafana noJoel Reynolds we-NRDC osasebenzela izilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle nsuku zonke, kanye noJared Blumenfeld, oye waqhubeka nokusebenzela imvelo emsebenzini kahulumeni.

Futhi phakathi kwethu kwakukhona u-Patricia Martinez, omunye wabaholi bezokongiwa kwemvelo e-Baja California ukuzibophezela kwakhe nokushayela kwakhe kwamphathela izindawo ayengenakuzicabanga ekuvikeleni lelo chibi elihle. Savakashela e-Morocco nase-Japan, phakathi kwezinye izindawo, ukuze sivikele isimo sechweba Lamagugu Omhlaba futhi siqinisekise ukuqashelwa komhlaba wonke ngezinsongo ebhekene nazo. U-Patricia, udadewabo u-Laura, nabanye abamele umphakathi babe yingxenye enkulu yempumelelo yethu futhi basalokhu bengabakhona ekuvikeleni ezinye izindawo ezisongelwa eduze nenhlonhlo yase-Baja California.

Ukubheka Esikhathini Esizayo

Ekuqaleni kukaFebhuwari, ngaya eSouthern California Marine Mammal Workshop. Umbuki zindwendwe ngu- I-Pacific Life Foundation ngokubambisana ne-The Ocean Foundation, le workshop ibiba se-Newport Beach unyaka nonyaka kusukela ngoJanuwari 2010. Kusukela kubacwaningi abaphezulu kuya kodokotela bezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle kuye kwabancane be-Ph.D. abakhethiwe, ababambiqhaza beshabhu bamele inqwaba yezikhungo zikahulumeni nezemfundo, kanye nedlanzana labanye abaxhasi ngezimali kanye nama-NGO. Ucwaningo lugxile ezilwaneni ezincelisayo zasolwandle eSouthern California Bight, indawo engamakhilomitha-skwele angama-90,000 eMpumalanga Pacific enamakhilomitha angama-450 ngasogwini loLwandlekazi iPacific ukusuka ePoint Conception eduze kwaseSanta Barbara eningizimu kuya eCabo Colonet eBaja California, eMexico.

Izinsongo ezilwaneni ezincelisayo zasolwandle zihlukahlukene—kusukela ezifweni ezisafufusa kuya ekushintsheni kwesayensi yemvelo yolwandle kanye nezinga lokushisa kuya ekusebenzelaneni okubulalayo nemisebenzi yabantu. Nokho, amandla kanye nomdlandla wokubambisana okuvela kule nkundla yokucobelelana ngolwazi kukhuthaza ithemba lokuthi sizophumelela ekukhuthazeni impilo nokuvikelwa kwazo zonke izilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle. Futhi, bekujabulisa ukuzwa ukuthi i-grey whale ilulama kanjani ngenxa yokuvikelwa kwamazwe ngamazwe nokuqapha kwendawo.

Ekuqaleni kukaMashi, sizobungaza isikhumbuzo seminyaka engu-13 sokunqoba kwethu e-Laguna San Ignacio. Kuzoba mnandi ukukhumbula lezo zinsuku ezibuhlungu ngoba ngiyaxolisa ukusho ukuthi uPatricia Martinez walahlekelwa umzabalazo wakhe womdlavuza ekupheleni kukaJanuwari. Wayengumoya onesibindi futhi ethanda izilwane ezishisekayo, kanye nodade omangalisayo, asebenza naye, nomngane. Indaba ye-gray whale nursery yaseLaguna San Ignacio yindaba yokuvikelwa esekelwe ukuqapha nokuphoqelela, yindaba yokubambisana kwendawo, isifunda, kanye namazwe ngamazwe, futhi yindaba yokusebenza umehluko ukuze kuzuzwe umgomo ofanayo. Ngalesi sikhathi ngonyaka ozayo, umgwaqo onguthelawayeka oyitiyela uzoxhumanisa leli chibi nomhlaba wonke okokuqala ngqa. Izoletha izinguquko.

Singathemba ukuthi eziningi zalezo zinguquko zizuzisa imikhomo nemiphakathi emincane yabantu ethembele kuyo—kanye nezivakashi ezinenhlanhla ezikwazi ukuzibonela eduze lezi zidalwa ezinhle. Futhi ngilindele ukuthi kuzoba yisikhumbuzo sokuhlala usekela futhi uqaphile ukuze uqinisekise ukuthi indaba yokuphumelela komkhomo i-grey ihlala iyindaba eyimpumelelo.