Unyaka ngamunye, ekuqaleni kuka-July, kufika imikhomo yensikazi ebizwa ngama-southern right (i-Eubalaena australis) ogwini oluseningizimu yeSanta Catarina, eBrazil. Iqhamuka ezindaweni ezifana nenyakatho ye-Antarctic, eqhele ngezinkulungwane zamakhilomitha, ifike izale futhi inakekele abantwana bayo endaweni enamanzi angajulile. Kuphela izinyanga eziningi, izakhamuzi nabavakashela emabhishi noma emaweni bejabulela ukubuka imikhomo—omama nabantwana bephumule noma bedlala emanzini! *

Umkhomo wensikazi ungaba ngamamitha angu-16 ubude, ucishe ulingane nebhasi elide elixhumene nelinye futhi isisindo sawo singafinyelela emathanini angu-80! Umzimba wawo omkhulu, ngokuvamile uba mnyama, ngezinye izikhathi uba namabala amhlophe esiswini. Ikhanda lawo likhulu kakhulu, liyingxenye eyodwa kwezine yobude bawo. Unomlomo omude futhi ogobile. Awunalo iphiko emhlane njengoba kunjalo ngezinye izinhlobo zemikhomo. Ukuze uye phambili uma ubhukuda, uphakamisa umsila wawo omkhulu uye phezulu kakhulu naphansi, esikhundleni sokuwusa emaceleni njengezinye izinhlanzi. Unyakazisa amaphiko awo, ukuze ujike. Lokhu kuyafana nendlela indiza eqondiswa ngayo.

Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi naphezu kobukhulu bayo, le mikhomo inyakazisa umzimba ngokusesilinganisweni, yenze nemigilingwane emangalisayo. Ungayibona ihambahamba phansi kwamanzi, imisila ivela isikhathi eside ngaphandle; noma ishaya amanzi ngamandla ngomsila; futhi igxuma emanzini ibuye izothi daxá amanzi asakazeke kakhulu ngendlela ebonakala nasekudeni.

Ekhanda nasezindaweni ezilizungezile, lo mkhomo unamaqhubu amhloshana noma aphuzi alandelanayo—isikhumba esimahhadla esizungezwe izilwanyana ezibizwa ngezintwala zomkhomo. UKarina Groch, ongumxhumanisi we-Brazilian Right Whale Project uyachaza, “Iqhubu ngalinye lihlukile, njengoba nje nemilobo yeminwe yomuntu ihlukile, okwenza le mikhomo ikwazi ukuhlukaniseka. Izithombe zala maqhubu ale mikhomo sizithatha lapho isogwini lwethu bese sizigcina ebhukwini.”

Izazi zezinto eziphilayo zithi kunzima ukusho ukuthi lo mkhomo ufe uneminyaka emingaki, ngoba lolu hlobo lomkhomo alunawo amazinyo. Uma ziqagela, ziyilinganisela ku-65 iminyaka yobude bokuphila kwalo mkhomo. *

Le mikhomo idla izilwanyana ezincane. Ohlangothini ngalunye lomhlathi ongenhla, le mikhomo inamakhulu ezingcwecwe ezinoboya ehlunga ngazo. Njengoba ibhukuda, ukuvula kwayo umlomo kuvumela amanzi ukuba angene emlonyeni, bese ikwazi nokubamba izilwanyana ezigaxela oboyeni. Ngokwenza lokhu, umkhomo ngamunye ungadla izilwanyana ezingafinyelela emathanini amabili ngosuku.

Ehlobo (ngo-January no-February), le mikhomo ichitha isikhathi sayo idla oLwandle i-Antarctic, iqongelela amanoni. Lolu gqinsi lwamafutha, lwenza le mikhomo ingagodoli lapho isemanzini abandayo, futhi lusebenza njengokudla lapho ifuduka.

Kusukela ngekhulu le-18 kuye phambili, abadobi babeyidoba kakhulu le mikhomo eNingizimu Yenkabazwe. Babeyibheka njengemikhomo efanele (“right”) ukudotshwa. Kungani? Ukungasheshi kwayo lapho ibhukuda, kwakwenza kube lula ukuyibamba, yayibanjwa nangabadobi abasebenzisa imikhumbi yokhuni ephuka kalula, eyayinezinhlendla eziphathwa ngesandla kuphela. Ngaphandle kwalokho, ngokungafani neminye imikhomo, le mikhomo iyantanta lapho isibulewe ngenxa yogqinsi lwayo olungavamile lwamafutha. Ngakho, kwakuba lula ngabadobi ukuyidonsela ogwini.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, la mafutha noboya kwakungamagugu ayebaluleke kakhulu ngaleso sikhathi. Amafutha ayesetshenziswa ezibanini ezikhanyisa ezitaladini futhi ayeba uketshezi lokuthambisa. Uboya babusetshenziswa ezimpahleni zabesifazane, ezintanjeni, nasezambuleleni. Eqinisweni, uboya obabutholwe lapho kuzingelwe umkhomo owodwa nje babungakhokhela izindleko zalo lonke uhambo lokuzingela!

Ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20, ukudoba ngokweqile kwanciphisa inani lemikhomo futhi kamuva kwakungasalethi nzuzo ngokwezimali. EBrazil isikhungo sokugcina sezokudotshwa kwemikhomo savalwa ngo-1973. Nakuba inani layo liye landa kancane, le mikhomo isesengozini.

Lo mkhomo uyisibonelo esivelele sokuba yinkimbinkimbi nokuhlukahluka kwezinto eziphilayo emhlabeni. Ufakazela ukuhlakanipha namandla alowo owawudala, uMklami Omkhulu, uJehova uNkulunkulu.—IHubo 148:7.