The aerial view of the collapsed Lion Head rock formation taken by a drone. — Photo by Lee Voon Fah
BEKENU: The recently discovered Lion Head rock formation near Tusan beach located 45 minutes away from Miri is reported to have collapsed.
A free lance photographer, Lee Voon Fah, 60, discovered the ‘missing’ Lion Head when he went to Tusan beach on Jan 24 to take photographs, using a drone to take the aerial view of the cliff including the ‘Lion Head’.
According to him, he discovered that the Lion Head had collapsed when the photos and videos taken by the drone showed only debris at the spot where the Lion Head used to be, leaving a portion of the rock still standing.
He said he had to use the drone because he was hampered by the high tide from walking to the location.
“I took the aerial photos and the video of the collapsed Lion Head rock formation and later posted them on my Facebook,” Lee said when contacted yesterday, adding it was shared by “my good friend Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Miri branch chairman, Musa Musbah”.
He said he was also testing his drone which he recently bought.
“It is my hobby to take photos and aerial views,” he added.
Musa said he saw the post on Lee’s Facebook page and asked him for permission to share the video.
He said he had predicted, which was reported by The Borneo Post in its earlier edition, that the Lion Head rock formation would collapse anytime during the king tide this month due to its location and the strong waves.
Musa said it is a sad day for nature lovers as the ‘lion head’ rock formation was a new sight and attraction.
He also said the rock formation along the stretch of Tusan beach up to the Beraya beach will change many times due to the sea line getting closer to the land.
Attempts by The Borneo Post to reach the collapsed Lion Head from Tusan beach yesterday afternoon were hampered by to high tide which filled up the small river leading to the site.
Tusan Beach is a well-known tourist attraction. The cliffs with beautiful rock formations are found along the beach front.
The beach is also famous for its ‘Blue Tears’, a natural phenomenon in which bio luminescent planktons glow in brilliant blue.
It was only in 2015 that the first sighting of the ‘Blue Tears’ and the ‘Drinking Horse Head’ that collapsed last year were discovered and propelled Tusan Beach to fame.