INTO THE SEA

Galapagos’ Famous Darwin’s Arch Collapses From Erosion

The top of the rock bridge fell, leaving two pillars jutting out from the Pacific.

One of the most recognizable landmarks of the Galapagos Islands, known as Darwin’s Arch, has fallen into the sea. The government of Ecuador is blaming natural erosion for the destruction of the rock bridge, which is named for the scientist who studied the archipelago. “However, from a scientific point of view, it’s part of the natural process. The fall is surely due to exogenous processes such as weathering and erosion which are things that normally happen on our planet,” Washington Tapia, director of conservation at Galapagos Conservancy, told the Associated Press. According to CNN, members of a tour group organized by Aggressor Adventures witnessed the top collapsing, leaving just two pillars sticking up out of Pacific waters that are popular with divers. “We will miss this iconic site,” the group said in a Facebook post.