Hōlei Sea Arch Collapses into Pacific at Hawaii Volcanoes Park

The roughly 90-foot-tall Hōlei Sea Arch, a popular landmark in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, collapsed into the Pacific sometime between September 23 and 27, 2026; the exact timing is unknown, but it may have fallen while the park was temporarily closed for Tropical Storm Nolo. Carved by ocean erosion from a lava flow formed about 550 years ago, the arch had been expected to eventually crumble. Its surrounding cliffs had shown instability for years, including damage associated with the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and later storms. The National Park Service has warned visitors to stay out of the closed area because unstable cliffs pose serious risks of falling and drowning.