The head of Turtle Island (located off the coast of Nghi Lan) collapsed following a strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred this morning, April 3.

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The earthquake struck at 7:58 local time at a depth of 15.5 km off the eastern coast of Taiwan, causing several buildings near the epicenter to collapse, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau.

Notably, the 7.7 magnitude tremor also caused a large rock on Turtle Island (located off the coast of Nghi Lan) to tumble. This rock jutted out into the sea, resembling the head of a turtle. Large boulders fell into the ocean one after another, causing splashes of water after the strongest earthquake in the past 25 years in Taiwan.

"At that time, there were no people or vessels passing by. Fortunately, there were no casualties," a witness told Creaders.
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Turtle Island, also known as Guishan Island (Quy Sơn), is located 10 km east of Toucheng Town. It is a popular tourist destination in Nghi Lan (Yilan), Taiwan. From a distance, the island resembles a turtle basking in the ocean.

One of the popular tourist activities here is whale watching. The period from March to November is when Pacific whales and dolphins gather. Tourists can visit the island during this time to witness schools of fish swimming around the island.
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It’s important to note that guests intending to visit the island need to book at least a week in advance due to strict conservation regulations on the island. Additionally, Taiwan only allows a maximum of 100 guests to visit per day to protect the natural environment of Turtle Island.

Moreover, tourists can explore several nearby destinations, such as Qilin Island Park (suitable for nature lovers, hiking, or camping), and the Dali Shrine...

Turtle Island is quite far from the mainland; tourists can only reach it by boat or ferry departing from Wushi Harbor. The travel time is about 40 minutes. A tour to the island costs from 1,200 TWD (nearly 950,000 VND).