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Darwin's Arch collapses, famed Galapagos Island rock formation

Reuters
Published on May. 19, 2021, 6:52 PM

The iconic rock formation crashed into the sea, officials confirmed

(Reuters) - Darwin's Arch, a famed natural rock formation in the Galapagos Islands that is popular with divers, photographers and cruise-ship tourists, has collapsed from erosion, Ecuadorean environmental officials said on Tuesday.

Photographs posted on social media by Ecuador's Environment Ministry showed rubble from the curvature of the arch visible in the ocean, with the two supporting columns still standing.

FILE PHOTO: The view from the top of Bartolome Island in Galapagos August 23, 2013. Picture taken August 23, 2013. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo

FILE PHOTO: The view from the top of Bartolome Island in Galapagos August 23, 2013. Picture taken August 23, 2013. (REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo)

"We report that the iconic Arc of Darwin collapsed," the ministry wrote in Spanish on its Facebook page.

The arch, named for British naturalist Charles Darwin, stands at the northernmost tip of the Galapagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean 600 miles (965 km) west of Ecuador.

Divers pose in front of Darwin Arch in Galapagos, Ecuador August 19, 2013. Picture taken August 19, 2013. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Divers pose in front of Darwin Arch in Galapagos, Ecuador August 19, 2013. Picture taken August 19, 2013. (REUTERS/Jorge Silva)

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Once a part of Darwin's Island, the arch is famed for the variety of underwater life teeming nearby, including schools of hammerhead sharks.

Tourists are not allowed to set foot on the arch or island.

WATCH BELOW: A LOOK BACK AT WHEN ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS NATURAL FORMATIONS IN CANADA COLLAPSED

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Peter Cooney)