Hōlei Sea Arch disappears after centuries of erosion
The famous natural arch in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park collapsed into the sea in late September.
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The Hōlei Sea Arch on Hawaiʻi has disappeared after the natural rock arch collapsed between 23 and 27 September. The exact moment and immediate cause are unknown, but the coast had been unstable for years.
The National Park Service confirmed on 1 October that the arch had fallen into the Pacific Ocean. The formation was approximately 27 metres high and stood on the southern coast of the island of Hawaiʻi, in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
Waves formed the arch from the lava coast; according to Hawaiʻi Public Radio, it had stood there for more than five centuries. It was therefore not a monument built by humans, but a temporary geological formation that was constantly changing through erosion.
The instability had been known for some time. According to the National Park Service, earthquakes during the 2018 eruption and collapse of the Kīlauea summit damaged the cliffs. New cracks became visible in 2020 and the original lookout was closed; a safer lookout was later established further away.
The park was temporarily closed because of tropical storm Nolo. The arch was still standing on 23 September and had disappeared by 27 September. Hawaiʻi Public Radio reports that the park has not established whether high waves during the storm contributed to the collapse.
Visitors are advised to stay away from the coastal cliffs. The area around the former arch remains dangerous because rocks can break away without warning and the cliffs descend steeply to the sea.
The sources draw no direct link with climate change. However, the disappearance shows how quickly an erosion-shaped coastal structure can change when prolonged weakening coincides with unsettled weather.
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The factual description is based on an official statement and independent reporting. The text makes clear which causes have and have not been established.
- confirmed The Hōlei Sea Arch collapsed in September 2026. — The National Park Service confirmed the collapse. source
- confirmed The arch was approximately 27 metres high. — The National Park Service gives a height of 90 feet. source
- confirmed The arch stood for more than five centuries. — Hawaiʻi Public Radio gives this estimate of its age. source
- confirmed Earthquakes in 2018 and cracks in 2020 made the coast more unstable. — The National Park Service describes this history. source
- confirmed It has not been established whether storm Nolo contributed to the collapse. — Hawaiʻi Public Radio reports that the park has not established this. source
Editor's note
The collapse and the earlier instability were confirmed by the national park and Hawaiʻi Public Radio. A direct role for tropical storm Nolo has not been established.Sources
- Hōlei Sea Arch Collapses in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park — National Park Service
- The Hōlei Sea Arch has collapsed — Hawaiʻi Public Radio
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „hawaï hōlei sea arch”
- NOS — „hawaï hōlei sea arch”
- Het Parool — „hawaï hōlei sea arch”