Popular diving spot loses its top
Darwin’s Arch, the famed rock structure in the Galapagos Islands, has lost its top, with officials blaming natural erosion.
Ecuador’s Environment Ministry reported the collapse on Facebook on Monday, May 17.
The post said: “This event is a consequence of natural erosion. Darwin’s Arch is made of natural stone that at one time would have been part of Darwin Island, which is not open to visits by land.
“This site is considered one of the best places on the planet to dive and observe schools of sharks and other species.”
Informamos que hoy 17 de mayo, se reportó el colapso del Arco de Darwin, el atractivo puente natural ubicado a menos de un kilómetro de la isla principal Darwin, la más norte del archipiélago de #Galápagos. Este suceso sería consecuencia de la erosión natural.
📷Héctor Barrera pic.twitter.com/lBZJWNbgHg— Ministerio del Ambiente y Agua de Ecuador (@Ambiente_Ec) May 17, 2021
At 43 metres high, 70 metres long, and 23 metres wide, the rock structure is a popular spot for scuba divers less than 1km away from Darwin Island and 1000km from mainland Ecuador.
The unique plants and animals on the island are famed in part for inspiring Charles Darwin’s thoughts on evolution, and the rock formation was later named after the scientist.
The arch is also famous for its underwater encounters with sea turtles, whale sharks, manta rays and dolphins.
Jen Jones of the Galapagos Conservation Trust said the charity was “sad to hear the news about Darwin’s Arch collapsing.
“The collapse of the arch is a reminder of how fragile our world is. While there is little that we as humans can do to stop geological processes such as erosion, we can endeavour to protect the island’s precious marine life.”