[13] In June 2012, fisherman Wang Chiu-tang (王秋堂) discovered a fossilized ivory tusk in a trench near the island 200 m (660 ft) below sea level.

[1] On July 1, 2016, the Hsiung Feng III missile mishap occurred in the waters southeast of Dongji Island.

In June 2017, a tornado-like twister was reported in the waters off Dongji Island, which is an occasional occurrence in the area's weather patterns.

[17] On January 10, 2018, the Chia Ming Lun (嘉明輪) cargo ship ran aground and sank near Dongji Island.

The vast majority of rain falls in summer as the East Asian monsoon penetrates the high-pressure systems otherwise dominating the area.