Iron Anvil Island Introduction
About 2 kilometers north of Dabangsha Island, there is a typical square-shaped rocky island, which is mostly covered with large stone slabs that are flat and unmarked, resembling an anvil used in blacksmithing; thus, it is named Iron Anvil Island. The island has a height of about 5 meters and is surrounded by vertical sea cliffs. Apart from the anvil-like basalt at the highest point, there are many uniquely shaped honeycomb rocks. In the 1950s, it served as a military target range, leaving behind many iron scraps and rock fragments. Iron Anvil Island is located off the northwest coast of Penghu Island and is entirely composed of basalt, resembling an anvil, which is why it is called Iron Anvil Island. Due to the northeast monsoon in winter, the waves have continuously eroded the northern coast of Iron Anvil Island, forming over 10-meter-high sea caves, the largest in all of Penghu. The special location of this cave means it cannot receive sunlight throughout the year, so even in summer, the temperature inside is about 3 to 5 degrees cooler than outside, frequently attracting tourists looking to cool off and rest, thus it is known as Air Conditioning Cave. From the northern sea, one can clearly see that the upper part of the island's cliff is basalt, while the lower part consists of volcanic breccia, which is more vulnerable and has been eroded by winter waves, resulting in the formation of a massive sea cave below the northern sea cliff that small yachts and fishing boats can enter. The intertidal zone on the island is relatively shallow and short, with almost no wave-cut platforms near the sea caves. Only on the eastern sea cliff is there a platform about 5 meters wide, along with small areas of pebble beach on the south and west sides, so fewer fishermen go to the island to collect snails and shellfish. Consequently, every year, over a thousand white-browed gulls breed on the island. Whenever boats approach the shore, flocks of white-browed gulls fly out from the island, emitting a warning sound similar to that of a small dog and low-pitched. Finally, they all gather and swirl above the boats, creating a very marvelous sight.
