A famed natural landmark in Hawaii is gone forever after rough storms caused it to collapse into the ocean. The iconic Hōlei Sea Arch, which stood for more than 500 years in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, collapsed into the Pacific during what has been a tumultuous hurricane season for Hawaii.
As Fox Weather reports, according to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, the famous lava rock arch was still standing on Sept. 23 before the national park closed ahead of Hurricane Nolo’s impacts near the Big Island, but by Sunday, Sept. 27, when the park reopened, the arch collapsed.
The Hōlei Sea Arch once stood 90 feet high and extended into the Pacific Ocean. Ancient lava flows created the sea arch 550 years ago, the national park said. Photos shared by Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park show the arch prior to its collapse in 2022, versus the changed coastline after the arch disappeared. The coastline on either side of Hōlei Sea Arch has shown signs of instability for years, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park said.
In 2018, Kilauea erupted, and a new summit crater formed, causing damage to the cliffs near the arch. Two years later, in January 2020, new cracks and instability prompted the national park to close the original viewing area near the arch. A few months later, the national park opened a safer viewing area further back from the dangerous part of the coastline. Later in 2020, Tropical Storm Darby caused further damage, breaking off a chunk of rock on the lower part of the arch, the national park said.
Recent photos circulating on social media have shown people entering the closed-off portion of the park near where the sea arch stood. “Visitors are required to stay out of closed areas and away from cliff edges which are unstable and can collapse without warning,” Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park said. “Visitors are urged to stay back from the unstable coastal cliff edges which drop off vertically into the ocean and present a serious falling hazard,” a release stated. “Photos on social media show people entering the closed area near where the sea arch once stood, putting themselves and first responders at great risk of falling and drowning off the rough, wave-swept coast.”
Hawaii has seen impacts from several different tropical systems this hurricane season, as well as at least eight different Kilauea volcanic eruptions since May and plenty more earthquakes on the Big Island around the volcano site.
According to the National Park Service, the Hōlei Sea Arch formed 550 years ago due to “differential erosion,” which refers to “the difference in the hardness of various layers of lava.” The name of the arch, Hōlei, refers to a small native plant in the milkweed family, per the park. The NPS previously noted that while beautiful, the arch had a “limited life span” and was anticipated to collapse into the ocean at some point.
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Photo Credit: Robert Harding Video / Shutterstock.com
