Development pressures sit jealously, side by side with nature, eating into the very fabric of the Maltese islands. Where else but in Malta could you find, metres from the beach, a historic cave filled with water – enough to kayak in – all at the virtual elbow of the heaving night scene called Paceville.

Ħarq il-Ħammiem valley once swept down to St George’s Bay in a pristine setting not unlike Xlendi in the days gone by. Ploughed fields came right up to the beach, making use of rich sweepings from upstream that rendered the soil more fertile. Then a country villa was built on high rocky ground, extensive gardens planted below, followed by a small hotel by the beach – Villa Rosa Hotel.

We all know of the urban explosion that has since taken place around this pretty enclave, although most are still unaware of the large cave at the valley’s edge.

Għar Ħarq il-Ħammiem has little to do with pigeons and everything to do with water. Ħarq is Arabic for a fissure or break in the rock. The name of this cavern, with its large freshwater pool, is said to originate from the word ħamem, the sound of dripping water. Another possibility is that it came from ħammam, meaning a bathing place, although it is unlikely that this place was used for bathing. The cave, which features prominently on old maps, was an important stop for passing vessels as they sailed into the bay to replenish their supply of freshwater.

Award-winning architect in spatial design, Piotr Armatys, thought it sounded like a myth when he first heard of the underground pool while working on a project in the area: “This must be the most amazing cave we have in Malta!”

Prof. Patrick Schembri described the cave, with its deep pool of water, as “unique” in the Maltese islands. Its ceiling reaches two storeys high and once had an opening through which material was dumped in earlier times, forming a pile of rubble in the upper chamber pool.

In a 2001 report, geologist John Mangion described the uniqueness of the cave’s karstic features and called for it to be protected as a site of scientific interest with a 30-metre buffer zone around it.

Natural history museum curator and overseer of Għar Dalam cave, John Borg, believes the future of the protected cave should be one that further secures its rightful place in Malta’s national heritage. This site should be given the importance it deserves so that “it won’t just remain a name buried underground”.

Results of a survey ordered by the planning authority over 10 years ago, when excavations for a multi-storey car park and conference centre were being proposed in the area of Moynihan House, proved that the cave was much larger than originally thought.

The discovery of a passage connecting the first chamber to a deeper chamber under the tourism institute training school sent architects for the development scurrying back to the drawing board.

One expert came up with the idea that the proposed development over the sensitive zone should be articulated to allow for any fault movement. This was countered by another who was of the opinion that all faults in the Maltese islands are inactive and no such movement was expected. In the end the project was shelved in its entirety based on the results of the cave survey.

Subterranean habitats have very low levels of light or exist in total darkness. Little is known about their ecology. What sort of creature could survive here other than a mythical escapee from the deepest caverns of Lord of the Rings?

The survey was no routine dive for those engaged to determine the cave’s extent. It took two days of preparation, setting out markings and safety lines ahead of the difficult dive into the unknown. Divers describe the excitement they felt, despite the dangers, as they slipped into the water and along the narrow passage, trying not to kick up silt which would reduce visibility.

The planning statement brushed off the cave’s ecology, saying the insects were small, did not move around much and lived underground

“We had a lot of equipment... we were not only underground but underwater as well, an unusual situation and in complete darkness. Using only the light from our torches we had to pass through an entrance in the rocks only a few metres wide to go deeper into another cave system. Exactly after we passed through the narrow entrance it was like we were landing on the moon… as soon as you flash your torch you expect to see part of the cave. However, the light was lost – the cave is incredibly large down there.”

Putting to one side concerns over whether the air supply, including extra tanks, would be sufficient to complete their task, the professional divers got on with their work and were able to explore the full length of the dumbbell-shaped cave. Later, while viewing film taken in the lower chamber which was totally submerged, they noticed something alive and unexpected swimming past which they captured on video while exploring the dumbbell-shaped cave.

Professional diver Jason Fabri recalls: “We were curious whether we would encounter some form of life in the darkness and depth of the cave where sunlight had never reached and there we found a surprise.” It must have been the first time an albino shrimp, in its dark and watery cloister, had ever encountered human beings. Guided by powerful lighting at the surface, which was still 16 metres below sea level, the divers carefully made their way up from a depth of 50 metres. Coming up through crystal clear water, the divers saw something resembling “a mirage in the desert, or like sun on tarmac”. In fact, it was the blurred layer between heavier sea water and fresh water perched on top, creating a most unusual ecological scenario.

Struck by its wonder, the divers called for this extraordinary cave site to be cleared of rubble, protected and restored. Might this be an appropriate measure to work on for the backers of a multi-million property enterprise now being proposed for the surrounding area?

Should an endemic beetle and a rare ant join forces to stop the development? The last time anyone looked, the cave was the only known locality for a type of rove beetle. Populations of another rarely occurring insect have also been recorded at the cave’s entrance where an old flight of stone steps leads down to the water. When it was pointed out that the environmental planning statement had left out this important information the response was dismissive.

An application for a large-scale property development affecting much of the St George’s Bay is pending. The environmental planning statement (EPS) says measures will be taken to safeguard the cave without specifying what these might be. Such measures need to be further subjected to open public consultation given the ecological and geological sensitivity of the site. The EPS borders on disdain toward some of the finer ecological points.

The planning statement, put together by heavyweight consultants ERSLI of Midi fame, brushed off the cave’s six-legged ecology, saying that the insects were very small, did not move around that much and lived underground. The consultancy pleas that identification requires specialised knowledge, adding that the creatures were recorded “a very long time ago and have not been looked at since”.

The consultants’ reply to the biodiversity question raised as part of the public consultation went on to note that the only potential impacts of the development that might affect fauna in the cave could be narrowed down to two possibilities: runoff water from the building site carrying pollutants during the building phase or the collapse of the cave. As with all caves, Għar Ħarq il-Ħammiem is getting bigger with time as rock continues to fall.

The fate of the lower part of Villa Rosa gardens is still in the balance. It is hard to see how a ‘low key’ development which is intent on promotion of retail, café and leisure uses will succeed in retaining a “garden character” as required by the local plan. Mature trees are to be kept as far as possible but the garden as such will be lost if the project is approved at planning stage.

http://vimeo.com/29715024