A popular tourist attraction in the north of Taiwan — the Shen'ao Elephant Trunk Rock — will need a new name after the sea arch which gave the geological structure its zoomorphic shape plunged into the sea on Dec. 16.

Nothing left to trumpet

Before the collapse of the sea arch, the rock formation resembled an elephant, with the arch being part of its 'trunk' reaching into the sea for water.

On Dec. 16, the Ruifang District Office of New Taipei City announced on Facebook that the elephant's 'trunk' had collapsed and no longer exists.

The notable sea arch collapsed into the sea at 1:55pm, the office wrote in the post.

台湾深澳渔港旁的著名景点：象鼻岩部分塌陷入海。#Taiwan pic.twitter.com/eyASWoU3Cr

— Anna 娜妮💯 (@csuu12) December 16, 2023

According to Taipei Times, Ruifang District Warden Yang Sheng-min said that the tourist spot experienced strong winds and waves that afternoon.

The rock formation was also subjected to prolonged weathering and erosion.

These may have contributed to the disintegration of the sea arch.

With the collapse of the sea arch, the geological structure has lost its 'mythical look' resembling an elephant's trunk, the district office wrote in its read.

The district office also informed would-be tourists that the weather and ground around the area of the collapsed sea arch are unstable, and so the tourist spot has been closed.

位于台湾新北市深澳渔港旁的象鼻岩，是当地知名景观与打卡地标，16日传出“象鼻”断了。
当天风浪大，象鼻岩的“象鼻”断裂，已设围篱避免民众进入。
台湾大学一名地质教授4年前曾预估“还能撑千年”，未料4年后就倒塌。
。。。。。。断鼻崖，大自然造就的奇观，由大自然收回。 pic.twitter.com/SwMUkr4S4o

— 听雨 (@tngy21626522) December 17, 2023

Concerns for Queen's Head rock formation

Videos reporting the loss of Elephant Trunk Rock were posted to YouTube by various local media outlets after the announcement by the local district office.

In their comments sections, some users lamented the loss of the one-of-a-kind rock formation.

"What a pity"

Others marvelled at the force of nature.

"The power of nature. Very cool!"

"This is how nature is. It was formed as a work of nature, and it's collapse today is also a work of nature. This is part of its appeal too."

Some users expressed concern that another popular tourist attraction, the Queen's Head rock formation at Yehliu Geopark, will one day cease to exist as well.

"Work of nature. Soon, it'll be the Queen's Head."

"One day, this will happen to the Queen's Head. Someone once proposed adding a transparent acrylic windshield around the Queen's Head, but the management at Yehliu Geopark decided that it's better to leave it be and let nature do its thing."

Taipei Times noted in its report that the circumference of the base of the Queen's Head has been decreasing by one to two centimetres each year, according to Yehliu Geopark.

On Google, a search for Shen'ao Elephant Trunk Rock returns a link to the attraction's webpage by New Taipei's Tourism and Travel Department.

However, the webpage no longer exists.

How did the elephant get its trunk?

According to a 2019 YouTube video by Taiwan's Tourism Administration, the geological deposits that make up the formation dates back 15 million years.

Professor of Geosciences at National Taiwan University Xu Haode also explained in the video that Shen'ao Elephant Truck Rock is made up of sandstone.

Over millions of years, the brittle rock formation was subjected to erosion from wave action.

Bit by bit, the sandstone gave way, collapsing into the sea below, forming an arch which crept upwards.

The result is a cliff face and sea arch that curiously resembles an elephant.

Xu added that with this understanding of how the geological structure was formed, it is inevitable that over time, the entire structure will disintegrate and the sea arch will collapse.

However, he opined this will take thousand of years before it happens.

Top image via New Taipei City Travel, Ruifang District Office/Facebook