Izimfudu Zasolwandle ze-Peninsula yaseYucatan

NguBrad Nahill, Umsunguli kanye noMqondisi we-SEEtheWild.org 

“Kungase kudingeke sihambe izindlela zokuyobona ufudu lwasolwandle,” ngatshela indodakazi yami uKarina njengoba simi ogwini lolwandle i-X'cacel, elinye lamabhishi abaluleke kakhulu okuzalela ufudu eMexico, eduze kwasePlaya del Carmen eNhlonhlweni yaseYucatan.

Njengoba inhlanhla yayingaba nayo, sasidinga kuphela ukuhamba amafidi angu-20 ngaphambi kokuba kuvele umumo oyindilinga endaweni yokuseza. I ufudu oluluhlaza kwavela ngqo phambi kwesiteshi socwaningo esiphethwe UFlora, Izilwane kanye neCultura yaseMexico, inhlangano yendawo yofudu lwasolwandle kanye nozakwethu BHEKA OFudu. Ukuze sinikeze ufudu indawo olwaluyidinga ukuze lumbe, sasikhuphuka sikhuphuke ngendlela, bese silandela ufudu. Nokho, ekugcineni washintsha umqondo wabuyela emanzini ngaphandle kokuzalela.

Akuzange kudingeke silinde isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba ezinye izimfudu ziphume emanzini. Salinda kwaze kwaba yilapho ufudu oluseduze luzalela amaqanda alo ukuze sigweme ukuluphazamisa endaweni ebucayi yenqubo yasendulo. Lolu kwakungolunye ufudu oluluhlaza, olunesisindo esingamakhilogremu angama-200. Nakuba sengisebenze ekulondolozweni kofudu lwasolwandle iminyaka engaphezu kweyishumi, lolu kwakuwufudu lokuqala indodakazi yami eyalubona luzalela, futhi lwangenelwa yilo mkhuba.

I-X'cacel itholakala ekugcineni komgwaqo owubhuqu ongenazo izimpawu zokuphromotha le-oasis yemvelo, okungenzeka ibe yinto enhle e-Mexico elungele izivakashi. Izimfudu zihlala kuzo zonke izindawo ukusuka eCancun kuya eTulum kodwa lena ingenye yezindawo ezimbalwa lapho ulwandle lungenazo izindawo zokungcebeleka ezinkulu. Izibani, izihlalo zasebhishi, nezixuku zonke zinciphisa inani lezimfudu ezifika esidlekeni, ngakho ukunwebeka kwemvelo okufana nalokhu kubaluleke kakhulu ekugcineni lezi zilwane ezihuquzelayo ezinomusa zibuya.

I-Flora, i-Fauna y Cultura isichithe iminyaka engu-30 ivikela izinhlobo ezintathu zezimfudu zasolwandle ezihlala emabhishi angu-11 endaweni. Lezi zimfudu zibhekana nezinsongo eziningi ezihlanganisa ukudliwa kwamaqanda nenyama yazo futhi lapha - mhlawumbe ngaphezu kwanoma iyiphi enye indawo emhlabeni - ukuthuthukiswa kwezokuvakasha kwasogwini ngezinga elikhulu. Naphezu kokuba iyipaki kazwelonke (eyaziwa ngokuthi i-Santuario de la Tortuga Marina Xcacel-Xcacelito), i-Xcacel isaqhubeka nokubhekana nosongo lokuthi ulwandle lwayo oluhlanzekile luthuthukiswe lube izindawo zokungcebeleka ezinkulu.

Salibangisa ngakusasa ekuseni e-Akumal eseduze (igama elithi “Indawo Yezimfudu” yesiMayan), enetheku elaziwa ngokudla izimfudu eziluhlaza. Safika ngovivi sashaya izihlwele sagqoka ama-snorkel saphuma siyofuna izimfudu. Akuphelanga sikhathi, umkami wathola ufudu ludla otshanini futhi salubukela kude. Igobolondo layo elihle elisawolintshi, elinsundu, nesagolide lalicace kakhulu kunaleli esasilibone ngayizolo.

Saba yedwa phezu kofudu oluluhlaza olusencane cishe imizuzu engu-15 ngaphambi kokuba kungene amanye ama-snorkelers. Ufudu lwaluhamba kancane otshanini basolwandle, ngezikhathi ezithile luntanta phezulu ukuze lugcwalise amaphaphu alo ngaphambi kokucwila phansi futhi. Iningi labashushumbisi be-snorkelel lanikeza lesi silwane indawo eyanele, nakuba umuntu oyedwa ekugcineni waxosha ufudu ngokusondela kakhulu futhi azame ukululandela ngekhamera. Ijatshuliswe okuhlangenwe nakho, indodakazi yami kamuva yathi ukubuka lolo fudu endaweni yalo yemvelo kwamnika ithemba ngekusasa lalolu hlobo lwezilwane.

Lapho siqeda, kwase kungena inqwaba yabantu emanzini. Ngemva kokuphuma, saba nethuba lokuxoxa noPaul Sanchez-Navarro, umqondisi wezazi eziphakeme. Centro Ecologico Akumal, iqembu elivikela izimfudu emanzini nasezidlekeni eziseduze. Uchaze ukuthi ubuningi bama-snorkelers kuleli chweba bunomthelela omkhulu ezikhungweni ezidla otshanini basolwandle, okwenza zingadli kancane futhi zikhulise nengcindezi. Izindaba ezinhle ukuthi uhlelo olusha lokuphatha luzosebenza maduze ukuze kuphoqelelwe ukuthi izivakashi nabaqondisi bokuvakasha benza kanjani ngenkathi bezungeza izimfudu.

Ngalobo busuku, salibangisa eningizimu eTulum. Yonke into yehla njengoba sivala umgwaqo omkhulu futhi sishayela imoto yethu eqashisayo phezu kwezinciphisajubane ezivamile emgwaqeni obheke e-Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. Ehhotela i-Nueva Vida de Ramiro, ihhotela lendawo elisebenzela ukunciphisa indawo yalo yemvelo kuyilapho lidala isimo esihehayo, izindawo eziningi zitshalwe izihlahla zomdabu. Indawo encane yokungcebeleka ibamba abaqaphi abavela ku-Flora, Fauna y Cultura kanye nendawo yokuchanyuselwa ukuze kuvikelwe amaqanda abekwe izimfudu ezikhuphuka kulolu hlaka lolwandle.

Ngalobo busuku, abaqaphi bezimfudu bangqongqoza emnyango bethu ukuze basitshele ukuthi kukhona owayezakhele phambi kwehhotela, ongomunye wabambalwa abacisha izibani zabo ebusuku ngesikhathi sokuzalela futhi basuse ifenisha ogwini. Izinyathelo ezinjalo zomqondo ovamile ziyisidingo lapho wabelana ngolwandle nezimfudu zasolwandle, kodwa ngeshwa, izindawo eziningi zokungcebeleka ezisogwini lwalolu gu azizithathi lezi zinyathelo.

Lolu fudu, nalo oluluhlaza, lwaqonda lapho kuzalelwe khona indawo yokungcebeleka kodwa lwashintsha umqondo lwabuyela olwandle ngaphandle kokuzalela. Ngenhlanhla olunye ufudu lwavela ibangana elifushane ogwini lolwandle, ngakho-ke sakwazi ukubona yonke inqubo yokuzalela kusukela ekugebeni isidleke nokubekela amaqanda kuye ekusitheleleni izilwane ezidla ezinye. Umkami, naye oyisazi sezinto eziphilayo zofudu, wasiza unogada ukuba asebenze ufudu kuyilapho mina ngichazela abantu abambalwa ababeza lapho behamba ogwini ngokuzalela.

Endleleni ebuyayo, sabona iqoqo elisha lamathrekhi ofudu eliholela esitulweni sasebhishi phambi kwendawo yokuphumula ekhanyayo. Kwaba sobala emizileni ukuthi ufudu lwaluphenduke ngaphandle kokuzalela lapho luhlangana nosihlalo– ubufakazi obengeziwe bokuthi izindawo zokungcebeleka ezinjengalezi sezithathe indawo yokuzingela ngokungemthetho kuleli bhishi njengosongo olukhulu lwasendaweni. Funda kabanzi mayelana nendlela ukuthuthukiswa kogu oluthinta ngayo izimfudu zasolwandle.

Uhambo lwethu lwamabhishi ofudu lwale ndawo luqede ngomhlangano nabangane bethu e-Flora, Fauna y Cultura kanye neqembu lentsha yaseMayan elizulazula ogwini oluseduzane e-Tulum National Park, eduze namanxiwa adumile. Leli bhishi liyindawo yokuzingela ngokungemthetho amaqanda njengoba bembalwa abantu abahlala eduze kwamanzi. Eyethu Izigidigidi Zezingane Zomfudu Uhlelo lusiza ukuxhasa lolu hlelo, olunikeza lezi zinsizwa ukuqashwa kuyilapho lusiza ukuvikela ulwandle olubalulekile lokuzalela.

Ngesikhathi sokuvakasha kwethu, sahamba nabavikeli bofudu saya ogwini. Ngesikhathi indodakazi yami igqiba izinyawo zayo esihlabathini, izinsizwa zasitshela ngomsebenzi onzima owenziwe ukuze kugcinwe lolu lwandle luphephile ezimfudumeni. Bachitha ubusuku bonke ogwini lolwandle, behamba befuna izimfudu eziluhlaza kanye nama-hawskbill. Kuthi kusempondo zankomo balandwe babuyele ekhaya baphumule. Lolu hlobo lokuzinikela yikho oludingekayo ukuze ufudu lubuyele kula mabhishi iminyaka eminingi ezayo.

UBrad ungumsunguli nomqondisi we SEEtheWILD.org, iwebhusayithi yokuqala emhlabeni jikelele yokuvakasha yokonga imali. Usebenze kwezokongiwa kofudu lwasolwandle, ezokuvakasha kwemvelo, kanye nemfundo yezemvelo iminyaka engu-15 nezinhlangano ezihlanganisa i-Ocean Conservancy, Rare, Asociacion ANAI (Costa Rica), kanye ne-Academy of Natural Sciences (Philadelphia). Uphinde wabonisana nezinkampani ezimbalwa ze-ecotourism nezingenzi-nzuzo, okuhlanganisa i-EcoTeach ne-Costa Rican Adventures. Ubhale izahluko zezincwadi ezimbalwa, ama-blogs, kanye nezifinyezo mayelana nokongiwa kofudu kanye ne-ecotourism futhi wethule ezingqungqutheleni ezinkulu zokuhamba kanye ne-symposia yofudu lwasolwandle. UBrad une-BS ku-Environmental Economics ayithola e-Penn State University futhi ufundisa ikilasi nge-ecotourism e-Mount Hood Community College.