Darwin’s Arch collapsed, a Galapagos geological and tourist icon

The iconic structure called Darwin’s Arch, near the island of the same name in the Galapagos archipelago, has partially collapsed due to natural erosion.

The Galapagos National Park received the first images in which two rock pillars are seen in the sea but without the upper lintel. Shortly after, the Ministry of the Environment confirmed the collapse discovered by a tourist boat sailing in this area.

Boats with diving enthusiasts who consider this place a world attraction for this aquatic activity usually arrive at the site.

The structure was approximately 43 meters high, 70 long and 23 wide and was 1,000 meters from Darwin Island, 305 kilometers northwest of the archipelago’s center.

The only images of the arch’s remains were taken on May 17, but it is not known if that was when the stone structure collapsed.

The Galapagos Islands, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and 1000 kilometers from the Ecuadorian mainland, were declared natural heritage of humanity in 1978 because of their animal and plant species, land and sea, unique in the world and which have served basis for the English scientist Charles Darwin developed his theory of the evolution of species.