'Worm's Arch' discovered at the bottom of the sea off Ly Son Island

A team of divers and several archaeologists have just discovered a beautiful volcanic rock arch located off the coral reef near the coast of An Binh commune, Ly Son island district.

The cliffs and the Archway are formed from volcanic rock on Ly Son Island.

It is believed that this is most likely a remnant of volcanic activity millions of years ago, when lava met seawater and solidified, creating the magnificent rock arch like the current Cống Tò Vò on Lý Sơn Island.

According to Mr. Doan Xum, Director of Doan Anh Duong Company, after conducting a seabed survey at Be Island (An Binh island commune), archaeological experts and a team of divers discovered this rock arch, which has a curved, arc-shaped form and extends for about 20 meters. From the seabed upwards, the highest point of the arch is approximately 5 meters.

According to Mr. Xum, after decades of surveying numerous sea and island areas throughout the country, he and his divers had never seen a rock arch as magnificent and beautiful as this one.

"This is a rare masterpiece of nature bestowed upon the Ly Son sea area. The rock arch is exactly like the To Vo Arch relic on land in Tay village, An Vinh commune (Large Island), but the length and size of this rock arch are many times larger," Mr. Xum said.

After watching the video clip filmed by experts and divers at the bottom of the sea, Dr. Nguyen Dang Vu, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ngai province, said that the discovery of the giant rock arch is a great opportunity for Ly Son to develop ecotourism associated with scuba diving and exploring the ocean floor.

“Ly Son possesses a pristine and fascinating beauty, including remnants such as the Thoi Loi volcanic basin, Tien Well, and a system of caves and cliffs formed from volcanic lava both on land and underwater, creating a rare chain of natural heritage sites. This rock arch will be preserved to serve the development of tourism in the Ly Son island region,” Mr. Vu affirmed.

During a recent survey, a team of divers discovered the remains of two ancient ships carrying ceramics and building materials that sank near the coast of An Binh commune. Preliminary findings by archaeologists suggest that these ceramic artifacts and sandstones were used to construct ancient Cham temples and towers dating from the 15th to 16th centuries.

“Ly Son Island was formed from the remnants of volcanic eruptions 250 to 300 million years ago. Besides its natural heritage on land and underwater, the Ly Son island area boasts a rich ecosystem with 700 species of flora and fauna, including nearly 140 species of seaweed, 160 species of coral, over 300 species of reef fish, 100 species of crustaceans, and many other diverse species,” said Dr. Vu.

According to Vietnamnet