Hi iSimangaliso kuva World Heritage Site

Nhlawulo wa Unesco

©Roger de la Harpe
Ntanga lowukulu wa St Lucia Wetland Park, sweswi wutiveka tani hi iSimangaliso Wetland Park, wuvuriwe kuva World Heritage Site hi lembe ra 1999. Komiti ya Unesco yi teke xiboho xaku katsa mindzelekano ya tindzhawu timbirhi leti sirheleriweke ka mati (St Lucia na Maputaland marine reserves) xikan’we na 11 letingariki ta mati (Maphelane Nature Reserve, St Lucia Park, Eastern Shores State Forest, Cape Vidal State Forest, Nyalazi State Forest, False Bay Park, Sodwana State Forest, Sodwana Bay National Park, Lake Sibaya Freshwater Reserve, the Coastal Forest Reserve xikan’we na Kosi Bay Nature Reserve)

Ntanga Lowungana Nkoka eka Misava Hinkwayo

©Roger de la Harpe
iSimangaliso Wetland Park, yi longoloxiwile tani hi World Heritage Site kungari ntsena hikokwalaho ka ti beach ta yona kambe hikokwalaho ka biodiversity yayona leyi yohlawuleka, kusaseka ka ntumbuluko wa yona, ku tlhandlekela kwalano hi estuary na maqhivi lawa yo hlawuleka eka ecology.
Ntanga lowu wuna kwalomu ka ntlhanu wa ti ecosystems to hlawuleka (leswi kunga vutshamo bya diversity yikulu ya biota): lwandle na vutomi byale matini, ndzhawu ya vunjoveri bya tinhlampfi na nhova hile vuxeni, estuary na maqhivi, milambu ya Mkhuze River na swithomu thomu hambi laha kunga oma nyana eka acacia savanna hile vupela dyambu byale makumu ka lwandle. Ku tlhandlekela kwalano, ti ecosystems leti tifuwile swinene hiti microhabitats to fana na ti mangroves, coral reefs xikan’we na misinya yati raffia-palm.

Yifaneriwe hi Xiyimo xa Heritage

©Roger de la Harpe
Ahiku hambana ka mbango ntsena loku endlaka leswaku iSimangaliso yifaneriwa hi xiyimo xa ndzhaka leyi. Kuna kuhambana hambana lokukulu ka flora (2,185 tinxaka leti tsarisiweke), swihadyana leswi mamisaka (tinxaka ta129), swikokovi (128), tinyenyani (526) na tihlampfi (1,039). Tinhlayo nhlayo leti tihi kombisa leswaku hikokwalaho ka yini nhlayiso wa ntanga lowu wurina nkoka swinene kuya hi ecology. Kambe eka muyeni ntsena loyi angalo vhaka eka ndzhawu liya, nhova leyi katsaka lwandle na misava e khoneni ya Maputaland, hiswona leswi kokaka ngopfu rinoko.
Ntsena loko u huma hi nyangwa kutani u sungula ku hangalaka na beach u hundza hile ka dunescape yati casuarinas laha tivaka ti veke makhwiri laha kungana moya kufana na ti storks, kuna ka ti cones nati nereta. E henhla ka ntlakuko…naswona e mahlweni ka wena uta twa kukufumela, ka lwandle leringana miseve ya sci-fi manta, tiyingwe nati whale sharks, na tinxaka tinharhu tati turtle. Lomu ka ntima ko enta hilaha ku tshamaka ti fossil leti hanyaka, ti coelacanth, tirikarhi tihlambela endzeni ka lwandle. U olola milenge eka beach leyinga tala hi makheche lawa yatitsakelake. Mapapa lawa yanga e hansi swinene, ya khavisiwa hi nkangula tilo. Onge tilo rhumiwa, ti whale timbirhi tihundza hikwala kusuhi swinene onge ungatwa na loko tihefemula.

Ku Vona Tinyenyani

©Roger de la Harpe
Loko dyambu rijikile unga famba famba eka swihlahla leswinga tlhuma swinene swa misinya yati buffalo thorns (Zizyphus mucronata), Natal mahogany (Trichilia dregeana) nati pigeonwood (Trema orientalis) leyingana ti monkey ropes xikan’we nati old man’s beard. Coastal strelitzias (Strelitzia nicolai) yihumelerise tinhloko ta yona ematlukeni ya minsinya. Langutela tinyenyani to fana na ti forest fowls, u twa mpfumalwulo: ukuma kuri samango monkey kumbe Tonga red squirrel. Kambe leswingata kupfuxa ni mixo kungava ti twinspots ta rihlaza, purple-crested turacos xikan’we nati African emerald cuckoos.
Endzhaku kasweswo u hlanganisiwa hi misinya na byasi bya kahle lebyingana lala (Hyphaene coriacea) na wild-date palms (Phoenix reclinata), laha ku jikajikelaka timpfuvu na tindlopfu ta cantankerous. Lomuya kunga pfuleka, hilaha unga kumaka kona ti kudu letinga tshunelelaka movha wa wena kulava ku vona leswaku kungava ku humelela yini laha tingana Medusa laha nhlokweni leyi langutekaka onge tatikeriwa. Uta hundza ti reedbucks totala swinene kutlula kwihi na kwihi laha ungati kumaka kona e Afrika.
Loko dyambu riya tlomuta u famba laha kutsakamaka kumbe kungana mati. Muxaka wati mangroves, wu pfula timpapa ta tona, ti endla mimpfumawulo ya tona. Hambi kuri laha kungana mati kuta ku endla leswaku u famba uri karhi uswitiva leswaku mintsandza yivavisa onge yova na matinu. Swinga languteriwanga uta kuma exibakabakeni kutele hi 10,000 wati flamingos leti hahaka e moyeni tisiya muhlowo va pink yo dzwihala.

Translated by Ike Ngobeni