Kwabaningi abahamba nge-adventure e-Antarctica yiyona ndawo ehamba phambili. Phela, amanye amazwekazi ayisithupha kulula ukufika kuwo, futhi akuyona neze engavamile ukuvakashela lezo zindawo ezihambweni ezihlukahlukene ezizimele noma ezihleliwe. Kodwa i-Antarctica ithatha imizamo ethile - ingakhulumi ngemali eningi - okuyibeka endaweni yokuthi kungenzeka ukuthi iningi labahambi.
Kodwa lokho kusho ukuthi izinkulungwane zabantu zivakashela leli zwekazi eliqhwayo ngalinye elibangelwa amahlobo ehlobo ngenxa yezindiza ze-Antarctic cruise ezifana ne-Quark Expeditions kanye neziqondiso zokuhamba njenge-Adventure Network International.
Eziningi zalezo zinkampani zingamalungu e-International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (i-IAATO), inhlangano ezinikele ekukhuthazeni ukuvakasha okuphephile nokusimeme e-Antarctica. Kule minyaka edlule, i-IAATO isize ukuba ibhale imithetho ebalulekile nemigomo yamalungu ayo aklanyelwe ukugcina abahambi bephephile ngenkathi bevikela isimo esibucayi se-Southern Ocean ne-Antarctic ngokwayo.
I-Antarctica Nge-Numeri
Unyaka ngamunye, i-IAATO ikhipha izibalo ezithile ezithakazelisayo ngenkathi yakamuva kakhulu yase-Antarctic, eqala ngoNovemba futhi iqhubekela phambili ngoFebhuwari. Kule nkathi yesikhathi, izivakashi eziya esifundeni zizokwenza konke kusukela ekutheni zihambe ngokunethezeka ukuhamba ngezinyawo ngamakhulu amakhilomitha kuya eSouth Pole, zinezinye izinketho eziningi phakathi. Laba bahambeli bathole ukuthi i-Antarctica iyindawo efuna ukuthethelela izikhathi, kodwa nokuthi uyinto enhle futhi enenzuzo kakhulu futhi.
Inombolo ethakazelisayo kunazo zonke ukuphuma kumbiko ka-2016 we-IAATO ukuthi abantu abangu-38 478 bavakashele i-Antarctic ngaleso sikhathi. Lokho kubonisa ukwanda kwama-4.6% ngonyaka odlule, kodwa kungaphansi kwezinga eliphakeme lika-2007-2008, lapho abantu abangu-46 265 benza uhambo oluya phansi.
Nokho, lokho kusho ukuthi inhlangano ihlose ukuthi abantu abangu-43 885 bazohamba lapho ngesikhathi sonyaka ka-2016-2017 njengoba isithakazelo esifundeni sikhula phakathi kwabavakashi be-adventure, futhi abantu abaningi bathola imali engenayo yokuqondisa ezobavumela ukuba bavakashele indawo enjalo.
Ukushayela i-Southern Ocean ne-Peninsula yase-Antarctica
Mhlawumbe nakakhulu okuthakazelisayo kodwa yilokho bonke abahambayo empeleni bafika e-Antarctic. I-IAATO ithi iningi lazo livele lihambe khona lapho lihambe emanzini oLwandle oluseningizimu futhi lihlole ugu lolugagasi olutholakala eduze nezwekazi eliqhwaziwe. Ngokwezibalo zezinhlangano, kuphela izigidi ezingu-1.1% zezivakashi ezishiya ogwini ngemuva futhi zihlola ingaphakathi lezwekazi. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi izifunda ezikude kakhulu ze-Antarctica ziyinkimbinkimbi yokufinyelela futhi izimo zezulu zisuke ziqine kunalokho ezikulo ogwini. Eminye i-98.9% yezivakashi zihambela e-Peninsula yase-Antarctic, abanye bengalokothi bangashiyi umkhumbi wabo wokuhamba ngezinyawo. Izindlela ezibonisa ukuthi kunjalo, ukuthi uhambo olwandle olunikeza abagibeli ithuba lokuphuma emikhumbi yabo luyakhula. Lezo zikhetho zikhona kuphela emikhumbi ethwele abagibeli abangaphansi kuka-500, kodwa ngokuhambisana ne-Antarctic Treaty System.
Izivakashi Zomvakashele
AmaMelika kanye namaShayina yizizwe ezimbili ezivakashela i-Antarctica kakhulu, kanti okwakungu-33% wazo zonke izivakashi, kanti lezi zinsuku zifika eseceleni elide ne-12%. Izinombolo ze-IAATO nazo zinikeza ubufakazi obengeziwe bokuthi ukuvelela kweChina kuvelele emakethe yezokuvakasha, njengoba lezo zivakashi ziye zabonakala zikhulile eminyakeni yamuva. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, ama-Australia, amaJalimane, kanye nabahambi baseBrithani bahlanganisa iningi lalezi zivakashi ze-Antarctic.
I-IAATO isilokhu isebenza iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-25, futhi iyaqhubeka ifuna izindlela zokuthuthukisa imboni yezokuvakasha esimeme e-Antarctic. Enye yezinkathazo ezinkulu zenhlangano okwamanje ukuphatha ukukhula njengentshisekelo yokuhamba nge-Antarctic ikhula. Ngaphezu kokuhamba ngogwini, izinketho eziningi ezithandekayo njengokushushuluza izinga lokugcina eNingizimu Pole ziba zithandwa kakhulu.
Ukuvumela lokho kwenzeke ngenkathi kuvikela izindawo ezikude nezesibhakabhaka kuyigugu elibalulekile, ikakhulukazi njengoba ukuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu kuba yikhathazeka enkulu nakakhulu esifundeni.
Ukuvakasha okusimeme e-Antarctic
Esikhathini sokukhululwa kwezindaba ezibika lezi zibalo, uMqondisi Omkhulu we-IAATO uDkt. Kim Crosbie wathi lokhu: "Iminyaka engu-25 edlule ibonise ukuthi ngokuphathwa ngokucophelela kungenzeka ukuthi izivakashi zizwe i-Antarctica ngaphandle kokuba nomthelela omubi emvelweni. Kodwa-ke, ukufisa ukuvakashela i-Antarctica kuyacaca kusenamandla ngakho i-IAATO kumele yakha ezisekelweni ezedlule ukuze zihlangabezane nezinselelo namathuba okuzayo ukuze kusekelwe ukulondolozwa kwesikhathi eside se-Antarctica. "
Uma uhlela ukuvakashela i-Seventh Continent esikhathini esizayo esikhathini esizayo, qiniseka ukuthi ubani owake wahamba naye ilungu le-IAATO. Lezo zinkampani zibophezele ukusekela izindinganiso zokuvakasha eziphathekayo nezomthetho esifundeni, ezibeka ingozi yokuba nomthelela ojulile ngenani labahambi abavakashelayo ngonyaka.