One of Hawaii’s most recognizable coastal landmarks is gone.

The famed Hōlei Sea Arch, a roughly 90-foot lava-rock formation inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, collapsed into the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, September 27, park officials confirmed this week. The arch stood at the end of Chain of Craters Road, where it extended dramatically from the sea cliffs above some of the roughest water in Hawaii.

The arch was carved by waves into an ancient lava flow dating back roughly 550 years. According to the National Park Service, differences in the hardness of various lava layers allowed the Pacific to gradually eat through the cliff — a process known as “differential erosion.” See video of the iconic arch, before and after the collapse, below.

Eventually, the same ocean that created it destroyed it.

Park officials had warned for years that Hōlei’s days were numbered. A large portion of the formation broke away during historic south swell in 2022, prompting warnings that the remaining arch could collapse without notice.

Its final disappearance came during a rough stretch of weather around Hawaii Island. Much of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park had closed ahead of Hurricane Nolo, which passed the island over the weekend. The park has not said whether high surf or storm conditions from Nolo directly triggered the collapse.

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News of the loss quickly spread online.

In comments beneath the park’s Facebook announcement, one visitor described Hōlei as “always worth the drive,” while another called it “a highlight of that drive.” Others shared photographs taken only days before the formation disappeared.

Related: Watch: Giant Rockslide Collapses Laguna Beach Cliff Amid Super El Niño Surf

The National Park Service had long described sea arches as fleeting features. Signage at Hōlei even called it a “temporary display of nature’s handiwork.”

Visitor Fahad Shaon arrived after the collapse and told Hawaiʻi Public Radio the coastline remains worth seeing.

“The cliffs are really awesome,” Shaon said, adding that even without Hōlei, “it’s worth the drive.”

Hōlei may be gone, but the process that built it hasn’t stopped.

Along this violent stretch of coast, the Pacific is already carving whatever comes next.

Park officials added:

“For those lucky enough to have witnessed the ancient sea arch in person, it remains an unforgettable chapter in Hawaii’s rich geological history.”

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