A large chunk of rock fell off the cliff on the Its Beach side of Lighthouse Point on Saturday night, Oct 22. The Toilet Bowl and Steamer Lane were unaffected, but the collapse created a small talus field near the entrance to the cave. Rocks now jut up from the water for about 40 feet.
People were back to walking along the edge of the cliff—even onto the rubble—soon after the fall. There were no reported injuries, but “a hermit crabs morning took a turn for the worst,” joked one Reddit user in a post about the erosion.
Coastal erosion is a constant problem along bluffs like West Cliff and East Cliff. As sea levels continue to rise and change the shoreline, preserving roads, cliff-side homes and surf spots like the iconic Steamer Lane will become more challenging.
See more images before the rockfall on Google Earth here.
It;s wonderful to see the natural order of things happen.