QUERIM CAVE 1

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Altogether three cave entrances give access to two parallel rift passages formed in metamorphsed and quartzite veined limestone (note 1). Both the tunnel cave Querim Cave 1 and the single passage cave Querim Cave 2 is controlled by tectonical fissures and enlarged by wave action. ETYMOLOGY: The Konkani -querim- may translate as pool, lake (mere guesswork: The Malayalam (?) -keri- is a tank (water reservoir). Dr. Nandakumar Kamat (note 2), however, spells Querim, the place name, as Kerim. SITUATION: Accessible during low tide only. All four Querim Caves lie at the south-western end of Querim Beach (note 3): Walk down the open beach to where the first rocks terminate the sands. Cross the first bar of rocks (some 5 or 10 m wide, less than 2 m high) to find a secluded bay with some 40 m (or so) of sandy beach. Walk down the beach and watch out for sort of a straight, sunken alley with a sandy floor, which is flanked by a -grass- coverd hill slope on the left (north / north-east) and a step-sided rocky masses on the right (sea-side). After some 15 or 20 m the almost west-east (280°-100°) running alley turn a bit south and continues about 10 m on a bearing of 135° (south-east) to run into a blind end (easily climbable). Here, on the right-hand side (south-west) lies the back entrance (up to 3 m wide and high) of the first cave at Querim. The sea-front (sea-side) entrance (adjacent north-west of the entrance to Querim Cave 2) is reached (during low tide only) by keeping to the waters edge after having crossed the sandy stretch of the -secluded bay- mentioned above. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1: The south-west facing sea-front entrance (up to 3.5 m wide and 4.2 m high) gives access to about 15 m of sand floored, slightly ascending and, to a certain extend daylight-lit tunnel cave along a rift passage, which is guided by tectonic disturbances (trending north-east to south-west) but slightly meandering and leads some 15 m from the seaward entrance straight to the back-side entrance (p to 3 m wide and high) facing the landmass. Secondary calcite deposits are absent. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2: Dr. Nandakumar Kamat (note 3) gives the impression of describing a natural bridge from somewhere on the Pernem coastline between Keri (sic! for: Querim) and Arambol (note 4) beach on the way approximately south to Morjim (N15°36': E073°43'): The rock-arch forms a cave-like shelter near the hillside. When you enter the cave-like structure you realise it to be a massive arch which allows you to cross to the other side of the beach in a few minutes, while your colleagues walking along the coastline may need half an hour. On closer inspection, the arch was found to be architectured by wave action. It is perhaps the only such passage in North Goa, but still it is less- investigated.p-sided rocky masses on the right (sea-side). After some 15 or 20 m the almost west-east (280°-100°) running alley turn a bit south and continues about 10 m on a bearing of 135° (south-east) to run into a blind end (easily climbable). Here, on the right-hand side (south-west) lies the back entrance (up to 3 m wide and high) of the first cave at Querim. The sea-front (sea-side) entrance (adjacent north-west of the entrance to Querim Cave 2) is reached (during low tide only) by keeping to the waters edge after having crossed the sandy stretch of the -secluded bay- mentioned above. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1: The south-west facing sea-front entrance (up to 3.5 m wide and 4.2 m high) gives access to about 15 m of sand floored, slightly ascending and, to a certain extend daylight-lit tunnel cave along a rift passage, which is guided by tectonic disturbances (trending north-east to south-west) but slightly meandering and leads some 15 m from the seaward entrance straight to the back-side entrance (p-sided rocky masses on the right (sea-side). After some 15 or 20 m the almost west-east (280°-100°) running alley turn a bit south and continues about 10 m on a bearing of 135° (south-east) to run into a blind end (easily climbable). Here, on the right-hand side (south-west) lies the back entrance (up to 3 m wide and high) of the first cave at Querim. The sea-front (sea-side) entrance (adjacent north-west of the entrance to Querim Cave 2) is reached (during low tide only) by keeping to the waters edge after having crossed the sandy stretch of the -secluded bay- mentioned above. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1: The south-west facing sea-front entrance (up to 3.5 m wide and 4.2 m high) gives access to about 15 m of sand floored, slightly ascending and, to a certain extend daylight-lit tunnel cave along a rift passage, which is guided by tectonic disturbances (trending north-east to south-west) but slightly meandering and leads some 15 m from the seaward entrance straight to the back-side entrance (p to 3 m wide and high) facing the landmass. Secondary calcite deposits are absent. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2: Dr. Nandakumar Kamat (note 3) gives the impression of describing a natural bridge from somewhere on the Pernem coastline between Keri (sic! for: Querim) and Arambol (note 4) beach on the way approximately south to Morjim (N15°36': E073°43'): The rock-arch forms a cave-like shelter near the hillside. When you enter the cave-like structure you realise it to be a massive arch which allows you to cross to the other side of the beach in a few minutes, while your colleagues walking along the coastline may need half an hour. On closer inspection, the arch was found to be architectured by wave action. It is perhaps the only such passage in North Goa, but still it is less- investigated.