Published : 03 Oct 2026, 12:06 PM
Updated : 03 Oct 2026, 12:06 PM
Hawaii's famous Holei Sea Arch, a 90-foot-tall (27.4m) lava rock structure formed roughly 550 years ago, has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean, the BBC reports.
The precise timing of the collapse remains unknown, the report said, citing the National Park Service (NPS).
Whilst the formation was still projecting into the water from the coastline of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Sept 23, it had vanished by Sept 27.
"The coastline flanking the sea arch has shown signs of instability for years," the NPS said.
Park officials had previously warned in 2021 that the structure would ultimately crumble.
Located at the terminus of Chain of Craters Road on the island of Hawaii -- commonly referred to as "the Big Island" -- the rock formation was a heavily photographed destination for tourists.
It is believed the arch fell while the park was temporarily closed during Tropical Storm Nolo over the weekend.
Seismic activity during the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption and subsequent summit collapse had already compromised the structural integrity of the surrounding cliffs.
The NPS described the event as "the latest transformation of the park's remote and rugged coastline".
Mounting erosion and cliff instability had previously forced action at the site.
In January 2020, severe cracking led officials to close the original viewing platform, opening a new viewing point at a safer distance several months later.
Later that same year, heavy swells from a tropical storm sheared off a significant section of rock from the arch's base.
"This formation is beautiful, but temporary, and has a limited life span," the park service noted in a 2021 assessment. "The sea arch will eventually crumble into the sea. However, others will replace it as the cliff slowly migrates inland."
The news has prompted a wave of reaction online, with thousands of people leaving comments and sharing personal photographs on the park service's social media channels.
"Nothing and no one is here forever," wrote one Facebook user reflecting on the loss. "Millions of years from now the sun will die. Appreciate the good, the beauty, now."
