Ekujuleni kwenhliziyo yogwadule lwase-Nevada kukhona umgodi ongaqondakali futhi obonakala ungenasiphelo owaziwa ngokuthi i-Devils Hole. Le ndawo eyimpicabadala ixake ososayensi kanye nabathandi bemidlalo iminyaka engaphezu kwekhulu, ngokujula kwayo okungaqondakali kanye nezimo ezingachazeki. Naphezu kwemizamo eminingi yokudalula izimfihlo zayo, iDevils Hole iyaqhubeka nokudida nokufaka uzungu kubo bonke abanesibindi sokuza eduze kwayo.
Inganekwane ethi Devils Hole ihlehlela emuva ekhulwini le-19, lapho itholwa iqembu lososayensi ababenelukuluku lokufuna ukwazi. Behlome ngezintambo namathuluzi okulinganisa, bazama ukuthola ukujula komgodi, kodwa izintambo zabo zagqashuka ngendlela engaqondakali njengokungathi balunywe amandla angabonakali. Babekwazi nje ukuqagela ukuthi kunechibi ngaphansi, kodwa imishini yabo elinganiselwe yabavimbela ekuqinisekiseni lokhu.
Ngo-1955, kwenzeka isigameko esibuhlungu lapho iqembu labangane linquma ukubhukuda bese licwila emanzini afudumele eDevils Hole. Abangane ababili abazange baphinde bavuke, futhi naphezu kokuseshwa okukhulu, izidumbu zabo azizange zitholakale. Kuthiwa lesi senzakalo sabangela amaNdiya angamaPaiute inkolelo yokuthi lo mgodi wawuyingosi yezwe elingaphansi elaziwa ngokuthi iShin-au-av. Kwakubhekwa njengendawo eyenqatshelwe ukubhukuda, futhi ngokwenganekwane ethile, intombi ewele emgodini yahudulwa ngaphansi kwamanzi yaphinde yavela ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbalwa emthonjeni oseduze.
Sekungamakhulu eminyaka aboMdabu baseMelika bebika ukuthi babona izinto ezindizayo entwasahlobo, bavele banyamalale ngaphansi komhlaba echibini. Lokhu kuholele embonweni wokuthi i-Devils Hole ayiyona nje into yemvelo, kodwa futhi iyindawo yokungena endaweni engaphansi komhlaba. Lo mbono wazuza nakakhulu lapho umholi wehlelo elibi uCharles Manson eba nesithakazelo kulo mgodi futhi wachitha izinsuku ezama ukuwuthola eDeath Valley eseduze.
UManson wayekholelwa ukuthi le ndawo yayiyisango eliya ezweni elingaphansi komhlaba lapho yena nomndeni wakhe babengacasha khona esintwini futhi bavele njengababusi ngemva kwe-Armagedoni. Abanye baze bathi uManson nabalandeli bakhe babezindla eduze nomgodi, bezama ukuxhumana nanoma iyiphi inhlangano ababekholelwa ukuthi yayihlala endaweni engaphansi komhlaba.
Emashumini eminyaka kamuva, ngo-1999, ithimba labacwaningi lanquma ukudalula iqiniso ngeHole KaDeveli. Bazihlomise ngobuchwepheshe besimanje base behlela emgodini ngekhamera. Njengoba behla kulo msele owawubonakala ungapheli, bahlangabezana nezenzakalo ezingavamile nezingaqondakali.
Ekujuleni okungamamitha angu-262, izindonga ze-Devils Hole zabonakala zanda, zinikeza inkohliso yobubanzi. Kodwa ngemva kwamamitha angu-30, anyamalala ngokuphelele, ashiya lutho ngaphandle kobumnyama. Njengoba behlisa ikhamera ngokuqhubekayo, ekujuleni okungamamitha angu-720, izibani zacisha kungazelelwe. Naphezu kwemizamo yabo emihle, abakwazanga ukubabusa. Futhi-ke, ekujuleni okungamamitha angu-753, ikhamera yaqala ukuzulazula futhi inyakaza sengathi ibanjwe yi-whirlpool.
Lisabela ukuphepha kwalo, ithimba laqala ngokushesha ukuphakamisa ikhamera liyibuyisele phezulu. Nokho, ekukhuphukeni kwabo, kwenzeka okuthile okuphawulekayo - amanzi avele akhanya ngokukhazimula okuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka okwagcwalisa igumbi lonke. Lesi senzakalo, okungakachazwa, siye sabadida ososayensi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi.
Kodwa izimfihlakalo zikaDeveli Hole azigcini lapho. Ngaphezu kokujula kwawo okungaqondakali, umgodi waziwa nangokukhipha imisindo ethusayo ngezikhathi ezingavamile. Le misindo ichazwe njengokububula okuphansi, okudumayo okubonakala kuphuma emadwaleni azungeze i-Devil's Hole. Le misindo eyinqaba yengeze kuphela emkhathini osabekayo nowezwe lomhlaba womgodi, futhi ososayensi abakakwazi ukuchaza umsuka wayo.
Ngakho-ke, yini ngempela i-Devils Hole? Ingabe isimangaliso semvelo noma into embi nakakhulu? Ngenkathi eminye imibono iphakamisa ukuthi ingaba ingosi yezwe elingaphansi komhlaba, abanye bakholelwa ukuthi ingase ixhunywe ku-Area 51 eseduze kanye nokusebenza kwayo okuyimfihlo kukahulumeni. Kodwa-ke, abukho ubufakazi obuphathekayo obusekela lezi zinsolo, futhi iqiniso ngeHole likaDeveli lihlala lifihliwe.
Enye incazelo engaba khona yokujula nezici ezixakile ze-Devils Hole ukuxhumeka kwayo ohlelweni olubanzi lwe-aquifer engaphansi komhlaba. Kukholakala ukuthi kungase kube khona imigudu engaphansi komhlaba kanye nemigudu exhunywe kule aquifer, engachaza imisindo eyinqaba nemisinga efana ne-whirlpool etholwa izivakashi.
Kodwa ngisho nalo mbono awuchazi ngokugcwele zonke izenzakalo ezingavamile ku-Devils Hole. Abanye bacabanga ukuthi kungase kube namandla angaphezu kwawemvelo, abanye baze bathi bake babona izipoki endaweni. Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi kungase kubangelwe amandla kazibuthe noma ngisho nokusebenza kwamanye amazwe.
Namuhla, i-Devils Hole igadwe kakhulu futhi ibiyelwe ngamakhamera aqaphayo abuka konke umnyakazo. Akekho ovunyelwe ukubhukuda noma ukucwila emanzini ayo, okunezela ku-aura esabekayo ezungeze lo mgodi.
Izivakashi kule ndawo zivame ukubika umuzwa wokungakhululeki nomuzwa wokubukwa, hhayi nje amakhamera aqaphile kodwa ngento engaziwa. Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi amalungu omndeni kaManson asazulazula endaweni, elinde isisulu sawo esilandelayo. Futhi ngesimo sezwe sasogwadule esinzima nomoya osabekayo, akunzima ukuqonda ukuthi kungani.
Ngakho, yini elele phansi kwalo mgodi obonakala ungapheli? Ingabe ngempela isenzakalo semvelo se-geological, noma kungaba indawo yokungena endaweni engaphansi engaziwa ehlala abantu abavela kwamanye amazwe?
Naphezu kwemizamo eminingi eminyakeni edlule yokudalula izimfihlo zeDevils Hole, iqiniso lihlala lingaqondakali. Esikwaziyo ukuthi lo mgodi ogwadule lwase-Nevada, owaziwa nge-pupfish yawo eyivelakancane nobuhle bemvelo, uyaqhubeka nokuthatha umcabango wethu futhi uvuse ilukuluku kulabo abafuna ukwembula izimfihlakalo zawo. Ukujula kwayo okuxakayo kanye nemisindo ethusayo kwenezela ekuthandeni kwayo, okuyenza ibe enye yezimfihlakalo ezihehayo nezingaxazululeki zesikhathi sethu.