The beachkeeper

The beach in front of the house (photo by Satheesh PM)

Along the Western coast of India in Karwar district is a place intentionally kept hidden that can be visited either upon recommendation by a previous visitor or invitation by the host. Three sandy beaches, one rocky one full of diverse tide pools, four Mudhol hounds, and big boulders at the edge of the beach make this place ethereal.

This beach is a hidden treasure accessible only by kayak (photo by Satheesh PM)

 

As Elrika and I reached the laterite plateau next to the sea, Satheesh, who has set up the mentioned place arrived in his Isuzu and asked if my car has 4-wheel drive; I said yes its a Duster 4WD. He inspected the clearance and the four-wheel housing of the car and concluded that my car couldn't make the journey down to the place. So we parked the car at one of the properties on the plateau and drove with him to the property by the beach. I agreed with him after driving down. My car would have got stuck in the sand right next to the house we were to stay in.

Holigarna arnottiana with fruits

Satheesh purchased these three properties 17 years back and has been meticulously taking care of the place by planting trees and ensuring that the tidal vegetation and the hillslopes around are not encroached upon or cleared. It was an absolute pleasure to see a large Holigarna arnottiana, an evergreen tree endemic to the Western Ghats, on the slope facing the house on the beach.

Meticulously, he renovated an existing home with the choiciest of material; old used wood, earthy clay flooring, lovely colours on the walls and all the amenities one would have access to in a 5-star hotel including a sea-view loo and bathtub. Being in a semi-wild tucked away beach with all these amenities gives you the 'Englishman-in-New-York' feels, wild but cosy; slowly you slip into the well curated ambience here.

Tired from the drive, after an evening conversation with Satheesh about his experiences and dinner, we slipped into a deep sleep to the calming sounds of the sea; we were less than 10 m from the high tide water line. Last time Elrika remembers sleeping with the sounds of the sea was during her field work in the Andamans. An hour after we slept, we were woken up by the sound of pre-monsoon rain and the air got very cool.

The tide pool on a clear day (photo by Satheesh PM)

The next morning we walked up to the rocky tide pool and although it was only early May, it felt like monsoon since the sea was stormy and rough and the water in the tide pools was murky. Still, Elrika took a dip into what looked like a one-person-size tide pool and found interesting organisms. 

Snorkelling in a true infinity pool (photo by Satheesh PM)

Periwinkles on a rock

That is the most interesting aspect of a rocky tide pool; the closer you look, the more alive it becomes with diverse organisms such as mussels, barnacles, oysters, crabs, limpets, chitons, periwinkles and other such lesser known tide pool-dwellers that often home in to the exact spot they were in during the last low tide.

On the drive back from the plateau to the beach again, we saw a laterite mine that is still active. Laterite was being cut as we passed by like the sweet Mysore Pak in rectangular blocks. Over the next day, we learnt that in June last year, a 6000 hectare area, 8.2 km along the coast and 6 km into the water was declared a Marine Sanctuary. The hope is that the Forest Department would have the funds and manpower to patrol the sanctuary to stop the mining on the plateau and trawling in the sea within the sanctuary.

Satheesh has been documenting the marine strandings on this beach over the years, a Baleen whale, a humpback dolphin, and an olive ridley turtle had been washed ashore. He also rescued a seagull that fell off a white-bellied sea eagle's nest, which flew away after ten days of care. He has over a hundred observations on iNaturalist of marine and terrestrial organisms. Overall, Satheesh's story is inspiring...holding on to a place and taking care of it in the way he is, is indeed motivating. Every natural place on our planet needs that much care and attention.

On a last note, the Thalassery food cuisine delicately tuned by Satheesh deserves a special mention. The food adds to the mystery of the place; parboiled rice, fish curry and fish fry, boiled banana, pickle and papad feels like a visit to Kerala for a meal! The fish was very fresh since the fishermen are closeby and every dish had been meticulously planned and executed; the food is indeed poetry in taste.