Bakua
The Bakua Cave (also Petrem ) is a cave in the East Timorese Suco Fatubessi ( Maubisse administrative office , Ainaro municipality ). Bakua is the longest and deepest cave in East Timor to date.
The cave is located near Mount Fatubessi , in a blind valley formed by a small stream. The stream falls dry outside of the rainy season. The entrance to the cave is about one kilometer from the rock face where the Blind Valley ends.
The cave was first explored by a British expedition in 2014. Here it penetrated to a depth of 125 m. Timorese and Portuguese cave explorers advanced further in 2016. After the end of the British, the cave expands and sinks to 197 m. Shortly before this point, a stream flows even in the dry season. Currently the cave has been explored up to a length of 643 m.
Bakua runs mainly in a south-westerly direction, but it is believed that it later swings to the north, towards the cliff face. There is the entrance to the Biribui cave , which may be connected to Bakua. A total of 20 cave entrances are known in this area. If they are all connected, the cave system could be several kilometers long and overcome an altitude difference of 500 m.
Web links
- M. Freire, P. Pinto, M. Soares, S. Medeiros, ASPS Reboleira, A. Reis, M. Gomez: Fatuk-Kuak Hosi Timor Lorosa'e: Caves of Timor-Leste , Proceedings of the 17th International Congress of Speleplogy , 2017. With maps of the previously known areas.
- Images of the Gruta de Bakua
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Fatuk-Kuak Hosi Timor Lorosa'e: Caves of Timor-Leste , pp. 32–34, accessed on January 1, 2020.