Hawaii’s iconic Hōlei Sea Arch has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean, vanishing just days after visitors were still photographing the landmark.
The 90-foot formation at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island was still standing on Wednesday, Sept. 23, but had disappeared by Sunday night, according to the National Park Service.
Officials said they do not know exactly when the arch collapsed, but believe it may have happened while the park was temporarily closed for three days during Tropical Storm Nolo.
The 90-foot arch is believed to have collapsed sometime between Sept. 23 and Sept. 27 as Tropical Storm Nolo moved through Hawaii.
The storm brought heavy rain and strong winds to the Big Island last week, causing flash flooding and road closures.
Visitors had been warned to avoid the area near Hōlei Sea Arch, where steep cliffs plunge directly into the Pacific and can give way without warning.
Officials said photos shared on social media showed people entering the closed area near where the arch once stood, putting themselves at risk of falling into the ocean and potentially endangering first responders.
“We were just there on Sept. 23 around 10 a.m. and are probably some of the last few to see it still standing,” one visitor wrote on Facebook.
Just days before the collapse, visitors were still stopping to photograph the landmark at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
“Very sad to hear of the loss of the arch. It figured in many of our vacation photographs throughout the 1990s. But the natural world is indeed constantly changing,” one person wrote.
Another visitor said they were “lucky enough” to see the arch in both 2012 and 2022, noting that the changes over that decade were already significant.
“What a beautiful and special place. We are so sad that it is gone,” another commenter added.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, located on the Big Island, is also home to Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, two of the world’s most active volcanoes.
The arch formed roughly 550 years ago but had been battered in recent years by earthquakes, cracks and relentless surf.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a major tourist destination, known for its dramatic volcanic landscapes, lava fields and active geology.
Hōlei Sea Arch stood at the end of Chain of Craters Road, where waves gradually carved through an ancient lava flow to create the formation.
The site had shown signs of instability for years. Earthquakes tied to Kīlauea’s 2018 eruption and summit collapse damaged the surrounding cliffs, while additional cracks later raised further safety concerns.
The park closed the original viewing area in January 2020 and opened a safer lookout farther from the cliff edge that March.
Later that year, powerful surf from Tropical Storm Darby dislodged a section of rock from the lower part of the arch.
