Iconic Sea Arch Collapses Off Coast of Hawaii's Big Island

One of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park's most photographed features has disappeared from the coastline. The 90-foot Holei Sea Arch on Hawaii Island, aka the Big Island, has collapsed, park officials confirmed on Wednesday, days after Hurricane Nolo skirted the area and social media rumors began circulating, reports Hawaii Public Radio. "Yes, it's true. RIP Holei Sea Arch," park officials wrote on Facebook, along with a crying emoji. Although it's not clear exactly when the structure fell, park officials noted that the arch had last been seen standing on Sept. 23, but by Sunday night it wasn't there anymore.

The park hasn't said whether the storm's high surf played a role, but the arch had been considered unstable for years, per HPR. Earthquake damage from the 2018 Kilauea eruption, additional cracking that forced a viewing-area closure in 2020, and battering from later bad weather had prompted warnings it could give way at any time. The arch—which stood for more than 500 years after being formed by a basalt lava flow, per the Honolulu Star-Advertiser—is now marked only by raw cliffside. Officials are asking people to obey closures and steer clear of fragile coastal edges.