Famed Darwin's Arch Rock Formation in Galapagos Islands Collapses Due to Natural Erosion

The famed Darwin's arch rock formation in Galapagos Islands is located 600 miles (965 km) west of Ecuador. It is named after British biologist Charles Darwin who visited the islands in 1835.

According to Britannica, Galapagos was formed between five million to nine million years ago, making it geologically young. It was first discovered in 1535 by the bishop of Panama, Tomás de Berlanga, whose ship got lost en route to Peru.

Almost two centuries passed since Charles Darwin visited the islands, in which he based his famous book "On the Origin of Species (1859)," the famous rock formation in which he was named after collapsed and was even video recorded by the tourists aboard a boat in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Darwin's Arch Collapsed

Tourists are not allowed to set foot on Darwin's Arch or the island, but in unexpected front-row seats to a once-in-a-lifetime event, tourists aboard a boat in the Galapagos Islands have witnessed the famous rock formation of Darwin's Arch collapsed, Traveller reported.

According to the divers aboard the Galapagos Aggressor Adventures III, they watched as the Darwin's Arch falls into the sea leaving behind two pillars.

They posted their experience on Facebook with a caption: "There are now only two pillars remaining. Some in the dive & travel industry are already referring to this now as 'The Pillars of Evolution'. We will miss this iconic site."

Darwin's Arch was once part of Darwin's Island and was famous for the variety of underwater life it hosts, including schools of hammerhead sharks, according to a report of South China Morning Post.

Galapagos Conservancy director of conservation Washington Tapia said that people from Galapagos felt nostalgic because the arch is a familiar rock formation in the area for many years.

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What Caused the Collapse of Darwin's Arch?

BBC News reported that the collapse of Darwin's Arch is confirmed by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment, saying that it collapsed due to natural erosion.

Tapia said that the collapse of the rock formation was a shock not only to the people in Galapagos Islands but to the whole world as well. But the cause of the collapse is part of a natural process, such as weathering and erosion that typically happens on Earth.

The Ministry of Environment further said that the site of Darwin's Arch is one of the best places on Earth to dive and observe the marine ecosystems as it is teeming with schools of sharks and other species.

Jen Jones of charity Galápagos Conservation Trust said that the loss of Darwin's Arch is a reminder of how fragile the world is and that it was truly a remarkable landscape of the planet.

"It really was an icon of the Galápagos landscape and a marker for one of the most awe-inspiring wildlife experiences on Earth, as beneath the waves can be found one of the largest aggregations of sharks in the world," she said, according to the Traveller.