KWAKUKHOLELWA ukuthi izinyoni ezibizwa ngama-arctic tern zindiza amakhilomitha angaba ngu-35 200 ukusuka e-Arctic ziya e-Antarctica ziphinde zibuyele e-Arctic. Nokho, ucwaningo lwamuva lubonisa ukuthi lezi zinyoni zindiza amabanga amade kakhulu kunalokho.

Abacwaningi bathatha izinyoni eziningana bazifaka imishinyana emncane ebizwa ngokuthi ama-geolocator. Le mishinyana, enesisindo esincane kakhulu, yabonisa ukuthi empeleni ezinye zalezi zinyoni zazindiza amakhilomitha angu-90 000 ukuya nokubuya lapho zisuke zifudekele khona. Lokhu kusho ukuthi lapho lezi zinyoni zifuduka zihamba amabanga amade kunanoma iziphi ezinye izilwane. Enye yalezi zinyoni yandiza amakhilomitha acishe abe ngu-96 000! Kungani sekutholakale amakhilomitha amasha andizwa yilezi zinyoni?

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zazifuduka zisuka kuphi, lezi zinyoni zazingandizi ziqonde ngqo lapho ziyakhona. Njengoba kuboniswe esithombeni, uma zindiza ziwela ulwandle i-Atlantic zazingaqondi ngqo, kunalokho indlela yazo yayimisa okohlamvu u-S. Kungani? Kungenxa yokuthi lezi zinyoni zindiza zihambisane nomoya osuke ukhona ngaleso sikhathi.

Njengoba lezi zinyoni ziphila iminyaka engaba ngu-30, kungenzeka zithi zifa zibe sezindize amakhilomitha angaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-2,4. Leli yibanga elilingana nokuya enyangeni uphinde ubuye izikhathi ezintathu noma ezine! Omunye umcwaningi wathi: “Kumangaza kakhulu ukuthi le nyoni enesisindo esingaphezudlwana kwamagremu ayikhulu nje kuphela iyakwazi ukukwenza lokhu.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, incwadi i-Life on Earth: A Natural History ithi, njengoba lezi zinyoni zihlale zifudukela endaweni okusuke kuyihlobo kuyo, “zithola ukukhanya okuningi kunanoma isiphi esinye isilwane esiphilayo.”