Hawaii's 550-Year-Old Hōlei Sea Arch Collapses Into Pacific Ocean, 90-Foot Landmark Leaves Internet Heartbroken

Some landmarks seem permanent simply because they have been around for generations. But nature has its own timeline. Hawaii’s Hōlei Sea Arch, a towering lava-rock formation that had stood along the coastline for roughly 550 years, has now disappeared into the Pacific Ocean.

The dramatic natural landmark, which rose around 90 feet (27.4 metres) above the coastline, was one of the most photographed formations in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Its sudden disappearance has left visitors and social media users reflecting on how quickly even centuries-old natural wonders can change.

Hōlei Sea Arch collapses

The National Park Service (NPS) confirmed on Wednesday, September 30, that the Hōlei Sea Arch had collapsed. The structure was still visible from the coast on September 23, but by the night of September 27, it was gone.

No one witnessed the collapse, so its exact timing remains unknown. According to the park service, the arch may have fallen while the area was closed during Tropical Storm Nolo over the weekend.

Located at the end of Chain of Craters Road on Hawaii’s Big Island, the formation had long been a popular stop for visitors and photographers exploring the national park.

Although its disappearance came as a shock to many visitors, the formation’s eventual collapse was not entirely unexpected.

As per media reports, the NPS had warned in 2021 that the arch would eventually crumble. In a statement, the agency said the coastline around the formation had displayed signs of instability for years.

The surrounding cliffs had also been affected by earthquakes associated with the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption and summit collapse, according to the park service.

Earlier, in January 2020, newly observed cracks and instability prompted officials to close the original viewing area. A new viewing location was later established farther away to provide visitors with a safer vantage point.

The collapse now represents what the NPS described as the “latest transformation of the park's remote and rugged coastline.”

Internet remembers the natural landmark

News of the arch’s disappearance prompted an emotional response online, particularly from people who had visited it before its collapse. One person wrote, “That’s wild. Lucky to have seen it a few times. Any idea how long it was there?”

Another shared, “I was one of the last people to see it!” A visitor bid farewell to the formation, writing, “Thanks for the good views while it lasted Hōlei Sea Arch. You were a beaut❤️”

Others recalled seeing it shortly before it disappeared. “We just saw it a month ago! Beautiful. Amazing the changes in the weather patterns and the effects the changes have made,” one user commented. Another wrote, “We just saw this last summer! And this is why I always say, see things now before it's gone 😢” Among the more reflective reactions was, “All beauty is temporary. RIP arch”.