Hawaii’s 550-year-old Hōlei Sea Arch collapses into the ocean

A 550-year-old sea arch in Hawaii has fallen into the Pacific Ocean. While the exact timing is unknown, the iconic Hōlei Sea Arch in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island collapsed by Sunday, September 27. According to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, the fall may have happened while the park was temporarily closed due to Tropical Storm Nolo.  

The lava rock formation stood at 90-feet-tall at the end of Chain of Craters Road and formed about 550 years ago as Pacific Ocean waves pounded into an ancient lava flow. According to the National Park Service, the cliff’s lifespan was determined by differential erosion, when the  softer rock is worn away faster and harder than the stronger rock. 

Hōlei Sea Arch is named hōlei after a small endemic plant in the milkweed family. Part of what makes archways beautiful is that they are temporary. Sea arches like these eventually crumble into the sea, but others will replace them as the cliff slowly migrates inland. It will take some time, though.

Over five centuries of waves and earthquakes caught up with Hōlei. The 2018 Kilauea eruption particularly damaged the cliffs near the arch. In January 2020, the viewing area was closed when cracks and instability worried officials, but a safer viewing area opened in March 2020. During Tropical Storm Darby, a massive surf broke off a chunk of rock from the lower part of the arch. In September, Hurricane Nolo reached Category 3 strength. While it did not directly hit the islands at that strength, the storm still brought over a foot of rain to some places on the Big Island, and may have led to the Hōlei Sea Arch’s collapse. 

“Hōlei Sea Arch is a very special place to so many of our visitors! Please share your favorite Hōlei photos in the comments,” Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park wrote on Facebook. “We would love to see them too.”