Indawo Yelifa Lemveli-iSimangaliso
Umkhethe we-Unesco
Imilambo emikhulu ekwipaki yase St Lucia, ebizwa kwelixesha iSimangaliso Wetland Park, yabhengezwa njengendawo yelifa lemveli ngomnyaka ka 1999. Ikomiti ye-Unesco yagqiba ekubeni idibanise kulomda indawo ezimbini zokukhusela ubomi baselwandle (St Lucia kunye nendawo yokukhusela ubomi baselwandle i Maputalanda) kunye neshumi elinanye lwendawo ezingadibananga nobomi bamanzi (indawo yolondolozo lwendalo i-Maphelane, ipaki i-St Lucia, ihlati lesizwe i-Eastern Shores, ihlathi lesizwe i-Cape Vidal, ihlati lesizwe i-Nyalazi, ipaki i-False Bay, ihlati lesizwe i-Sodwana, ipaki yesizwe iSodwana Bay, ichibi i-Sibaya Freshwater Reserve, indawo yokhuselo lwamahlathi agudle umnxweme (the Coastal Forest Reserve) kunye nendawo yokhuselo lwendalo iKosi Bay.
Ipaki Ebalulekileyo Nakumazwe Angaphandle
iSimangaliso Wetland Park ichazwe njenge ndawo yelifa lemveli yelizwe hayi ngenxa yokuba ilulwandle olubalulekileyo lokuzala ufudo kuphela, kodwa ngenxa yokuba ihamba phambili ngokwendalo eyahluka-hlukeneyo, ubuhle bayo bendalo kunye nangenxa yenkqubo yendalo yamanxweme namachibi.
Ipaki le yenziwa ziintlelo ezintlanu ezahlukileyo zenkqubo-yendalo (inika abahlali intlobo ezininzi ze Biota): neenkqubo zamanxweme kunye nezobomi bamanzi, amahlathi emvula akwinduli ezisenxwemeni elisempuma, inkqubo zamanxweme namachibi, nemigxobhozo ese- Mkhuze River kunye namathafa omileyo omnga asenxwemeni elisentshona. Ngapha koko, ezinkqubo zendlalo zityebile ngobomi bezinto ezifana ne-mangrove, namanxweme amancinci, namahlathi e-Rafia Palms.
Ikufanele Ukuba Yindawo Yelifa Lemveli
Ayiyo yantlukwa-ntlukwano yomhlaba kuphela eyenza iSimangaliso ibekwizinga lokuba yindawo yelifa lwemveli. Kukho izinto ezininzi zezityalo (kukho iintlobo ezi 2,185 ezifunyenweyo), izilwanyana (iintlobo ezi 129), izilwanyana ezirhubuluzayo (128), iintaka (526) kunye nentlanzi (1, 039). Ezizibalo ziyasichazela ukuba kutheni ulondolozo lwepaki lubalulekile ngokwembono yenkqubo zendalo. Kodwa kumkhenkethei nje sisimo somoya wendalo, ukudibana konxweme nomhlaba kwikona yase Maputalanda, enomtsalane.
Uphuma nje kwindlu yomthi uzulazule uye elwandle ugqitha kwiinduli ezigcwele onokrala abangxola emoyeni nase mvuleni. Ngaphaya kwenduli … apha phambikwakho, lulwandle olushushu olurhangqwe Yimithi ye-khorali (coral-rimmed) lugcweliswe yimitha yelanga, ingwe kunye nookrebe abangangomnenge, kunye neendidi ezintathu zofudo. Kubunzulu bobumnyama elwandle kungqunga amathambo amadala aphilayo, i-coelacanth, ithe chu kolulwandle njengakudala mandulo phambi kweentaba zemiwonyo. Uhamba apha elwandle uxakekile kunye ne- (confetti-like) ziporho zoononkala. Ukuzisa kwezulu kukhatshwa ngumgca-mabala omhle. Ngokungathi zibonisa ubuhle bendawo, iminenga emibini iyagqitha, kufutshane kakhulu ude uve nokuphefumlela ngaphandle amanzi.
Ukubonwa Kweentaka
Ngokuhlwa uzula-zula iinduli ezinamahlathi ashinyeneyo omthi wameva i bhafalo (Zizyphus mucronata), umthi oyi (mahogany) wase Natala (Trichilia dregeana) kunye ne nomthi i-pigeonwood (Trema orientalis) ejinga iintambo zeenkawu ndeendevu zexhego. Intyatyambo zaselwandle I (Strelitzia Nicolai) ihlaba iintloko zabo ngaphaya kwe khenophi (canopy). Xa ukhangela iintaka zehlathi eziqhathayo, uva ingokozelo: kungenzeka ukuba yinkawu i-samango okanye iqaqa elibomvu lase Tonga. Kodwa intsasa yakho idibanisa iintaka i (green twinspots), i (purple-crested turacos), kunye ne (African emerald cuckoos).
Ngaphesheya kweendonga zezinduli kukho amathafa achokozwe nge-lala (Hyphaene coriacea) kunye nemithi yesundu yehlathi (Phoenix reclinata), ajikelezwa ngoobhejana kunye neendlovu. Phandle pha emathafeni, iikudu zisondela emotweni yakho zinesinxibo sentloko i-Medusa ekubonakala ngokungathi iyazisinda kakhulu iintloko zazo. Ugqitha iinyamakazi ezininzi ongenofane uzibone naphi na e Afrika ngaphandle kwalendawo.
Ngorhatya uhamba kumanxwema emilambo. Imithi i-(mangroves) ethyalayo, ukubethana kwamakhuni, ukuduma okungonwabanga kwenjini. Nokuba ulwandle lungabonakala msulwa lingakushiya uyiqaphela imithi enamazinyo kunye nemigqomo egongqozayo. Esithubeni isibhakabhaka esikhazimlayo sigcwele iintaka i-(flamingos) eziyi 10,000 zinika umoya umbala onzulu o-(pink).
Translated by Aviwe Damane
