Vuka! Sikhuluma Mkhoma!

Ngu-Angel Braestrup, uSihlalo Webhodi Labacebisi le-The Ocean Foundation

UJuni 1 kwakuwuSuku Lomkhomo. Usuku lokuhlonipha lezi zidalwa ezinhle ezizulazula kuzo zonke izilwandle zomhlaba—ezinosuku lwazo ngoJuni 8.

Iningi lenu liyazi ukuthi imikhomo inendima ebalulekile olwandle—iyingxenye yohlelo oluyinkimbinkimbi olwakha isimiso esisekela ukuphila kweplanethi yethu. Ezweni elinemithombo ehlukahlukene yamaprotheni etholakala kubantu abaningi, ukuzingela okuqhubekayo kwemikhomo kubonakala, njengoba izingane zami zingasho, kanjalo ekhulwini elidlule. I “Gcina Imikhomo” Isiqubulo sasibusa iminyaka yami yobusha futhi umkhankaso omude waba yimpumelelo. I-International Whaling Commission yavala ukushushumbiswa kwemikhomo ngo-1982—ukunqoba okwagujwa izinkulungwane emhlabeni wonke. Yilabo kuphela abathembele kulo mkhomo—abazingeli bokuziphilisa—abavikelekile futhi basalokhu benjalo nanamuhla—inqobo nje uma inyama neminye imikhiqizo ingathengiswa kwamanye amazwe noma ingadayiswa. Njengezinyathelo eziningi ezinhle eziya phambili kwezokongiwa kwemvelo, kuthathe umzamo ohlangene wososayensi abazinikele, izishoshovu, nabanye abathandi bomkhomo ukulwa nomzamo wokuphakamisa ukumiswa komhlangano we-IWC unyaka ngamunye.

Ngakho-ke, akumangazi ukuthi isimemezelo sase-Iceland sokuthi izophinde iqale kabusha umkhomo wokuhweba kulo nyaka sahlangatshezwana nayo. imibhikisho. Umbhikisho onjalo uhlangane nomongameli wase-Iceland ePortland, eMaine, ngesonto eledlule ngethemba lokuthi i-Iceland izosibuyekeza isinqumo sayo.

NjengoSihlalo Webhodi Labeluleki le-The Ocean Foundation, ngithole ithuba lokuhlangana nososayensi bemikhomo abashiseka kakhulu nabanye abakhankasi emhlabeni. Kwesinye isikhathi ngize ngiphumele emanzini ukuze ngibabone, njengezinkulungwane zabanye abantu ababuka ngokumangala.

Lapho ososayensi basolwandle bebuthana ukuze bakhulume ngezilwane, kuthatha umzuzu owodwa ukuze kufinyelelwe ngendawo yazo. Phela abakhulumi ngogu lwaseCalifornia, bakhuluma nge-Eastern Pacific kanye neCalifornia Bight, leyo ndawo enothile yolwandle phakathi kwePoint Conception neSan Diego. Futhi ososayensi bemikhomo bagxila enkulisa nasezindaweni zokudla ezisekela izinhlobo ezifudukayo abazilandela isizini nesizini.

Abaqhubi bewashi lomkhomo nabo benza njalo. Iziqongo zesizini ezisiza ekuqinisekiseni uhambo oluyimpumelelo isinkwa nebhotela labo. E-Glacier Bay, kuwiswa umbhobho ukuze kulalele imikhomo. Ama-humpback awaculi lapho (ashiya lokho ebusika eHawaii) kodwa aphimisela ngokuqhubekayo. Ukukhukhuleka ngesikebhe esithule ulalele imikhomo idla ngaphansi kwakho kuwumlingo futhi lapho igqekeza, ukugeleza kwamanzi nokuchaphaza okulandelayo kunanela emaweni anamadwala.

Amakhanda omnsalo, ama-beluga, ama-humpback, nezimpunga—ngiye ngabusiswa ngokuzibona zonke. Amathuba okubathola ngesizini efanele maningi. Ungabona imikhomo eluhlaza kanye nabantwana bayo bejabulela ukuthula kwe-Loreto National Marine Park e-Baja California, eMexico. Noma ubone imikhomo engavamile (eyaziwa kanjalo ngenxa yokuthi yayiyimikhomo efanele ukuyibulala) yasoGwini Lwe-Atlantic olusentshonalanga—ilwela ukuphila njengohlobo oluthile. Imikhomo engama-50 empunga, njengoba sithanda ukusho.

Yebo, noma iluphi uhambo lokubuka imikhomo lungase lube usuku oluhle nje emanzini—azikho izidalwa ezigxuma olwandle, azikho izinambuzane ezitshuzayo njengoba zitshuza, amagagasi angapheli kanye nesithunzi ngezikhathi ezithile esibangela ukuba wonke umuntu agijimele kwelinye. ohlangothini lwesikebhe kwaba yize.

Lokhu, okuthiwa, akulona iqiniso nge-orcas ye-Strait yaseSan Juan de Fuca, noma ama-fjords e-Prince William Sound, noma izindawo ezimpunga neziluhlaza zeGlacier Bay noma ngisho nenyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-Atlantic engakathintwa. Ngiye ngezwa ukuthi ngesikhathi esifanele sonyaka, ezindaweni eziningi emhlabeni wonke, ama-orcas maningi, izimpawu zawo ezimangalisayo nezimpiko zawo ezibenyezelayo zibonakala ngamakhulu amamitha ukusuka kude—imidumba yasekhaya, abantu abangabazi abadlulayo, abahamba ngomkhumbi. amaphakethe wezimpisi zabesilisa abangabodwana beginqa izikole zezinhlanzi nezimvu zamanzi.

Imikhomo emibili edla izilwane ezincelisayo “edlulayo” ithwebule isithombe isempumalanga ye-Unimak Island, empumalanga ye-Aleutian Islands, e-Alaska. isithombe nguRobert Pittman, NOAA.

Kodwa kimi, akukaze kube mnyama nokumhlophe. Angikwazi ukukutshela ukuthi kukangaki ngizwa ukuthi, “Bebelapha inyanga yonke! Noma ehlala iwusizo, “Bekufanele ngabe ulapha izolo.” Ngicabanga ukuthi uma ngivakashela ipaki yetimu, umzala kaShamu uzobe enosuku lwengqondo enempilo.

Nokho, ngiyakholelwa ku-orcas. Kufanele ngabe bangaphandle uma abantu abaningi bebabonile, akunjalo? Futhi njengawo wonke ama- cetacean—imikhomo, amahlengethwa, nama-porpoise—akudingeki siwabone ukuze sikholwe ukuthi abaluleke kakhulu olwandle olunempilo njengezikole zase-menhaden, izixhobo ezinyakazayo kanye nogu lomhlume— futhi, yiqiniso, bonke abantu abasebenza kanzima ukuze babe nekusasa elinempilo lolwandle.

Ngithemba ukuthi ube noSuku Oluhle Lomkhomo, u-Orcas (noma ngabe ukuphi) kanye ne-toast kubafowenu.