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Hawaii’s Hōlei Sea Arch collapses into Pacific after standing for about 550 years

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 9 outlets across the spectrum.

9 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

The National Park Service confirmed that Hōlei Sea Arch, a roughly 90-foot lava rock formation on the Big Island’s southern coast in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean. The arch was still standing on Sept. 23 but was gone by the night of Sept. 27, according to the NPS, which said the exact timing of the collapse is unknown. Officials believe it may have fallen while the park was temporarily closed during Tropical Storm Nolo. The NPS said the surrounding cliffs have shown signs of instability for years, partly from earthquakes tied to the 2018 Kīlauea eruption, and had warned since 2021 that the arch would eventually crumble. Social media photos showed visitors entering the closed area near the site after the collapse, prompting NPS warnings about the danger to sightseers and first responders.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. The Hōlei Sea Arch was about 90 feet tall and formed roughly 550 years ago by ocean erosion of lava rock.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. The arch was confirmed standing on Sept. 23 but had collapsed by the night of Sept. 27; the exact time of collapse is unknown.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  3. Officials believe the collapse may have happened while the park was closed during Tropical Storm Nolo.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  4. The NPS said the surrounding cliffs have shown signs of instability for years, including damage linked to the 2018 Kīlauea eruption, and had warned since 2021 the arch would eventually fall.

    Reported byLeftCenter

  5. Social media photos showed visitors entering the closed area near the former arch site after the collapse, which the NPS said endangers both visitors and first responders.

    Reported byLeftRight

  6. Tropical Storm Nolo brought heavy rain, high winds and flooding to the Big Island around the time of the collapse.

    Reported byLeftRight

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    5 outlets

    Left-side headlines lean toward reflective, descriptive phrasing (‘crumbles,’ ‘picturesque,’ ‘centuries-old wonder’) that emphasizes the arch’s age and natural history, while two outlets ran an identical Associated Press report with a more procedural headline about cliff instability warnings.

    Hawaii sea arch collapses into Pacific Ocean after storms batter island state
    CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The BBC’s headline is straightforwardly factual, emphasizing the arch’s age and the fact of collapse without dramatic language.

    Hawaii's iconic 550-year-old Hōlei Sea Arch collapses
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    3 outlets

    Right-side headlines are similar to other outlets’ factual framing, but one outlet’s text uses more dramatic language (‘sensationally fallen,’ ‘colossal crumble’) to describe the event, while another outlet carried the same AP report used by a left-leaning outlet.

    Hawaii's famed Hōlei Sea Arch landmark collapses into ocean after 500 years
    Daily MailRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right2

    sensationally fallencolossal crumble

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    sensationally fallenMore neutral: fallen

    Adds dramatic flourish to a factual event rather than describing it neutrally.

    Hawaii’s famous Hōlei Sea Arch has sensationally fallen into the Pacific Ocean after standing tall for 500 years.

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Sensational language

    colossal crumbleMore neutral: collapse

    Exaggerated phrasing for emphasis rather than neutral description of the collapse.

    Just days before the colossal crumble, tourists took photos of the iconic Hōlei Sea Arch, which would later completely…

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

5 outlets

Leads with

  • historical and geological significance of the arch
  • storm context and timing
  • NPS statements on long-term cliff instability
  • visitor safety warnings
See the 5 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • ABC NewsLeftAssociated Press report

    A famed Hawaii sea arch collapses, prompting NPS warnings of unstable cliffs

    A scenic cliff on the wave-swept coast of Hawaii’s Big Island has collapsed

    Read at ABC News (opens in a new tab)
  • CBS NewsLeft

    Hawaii sea arch collapses into Pacific Ocean after storms batter island state

    The Holei Sea Arch, located in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, was about 90 feet high before it collapsed.

    Read at CBS News (opens in a new tab)
  • NBC NewsLeft

    Hawaii’s picturesque Hōlei Sea Arch collapses into the ocean

    The Google Maps red pin for the Hōlei Sea Arch, a rugged, 90-foot bow formed by 550-year-old lava flows and the prolonged sculpture of the salty Pacific, now states, “Permanently closed.”

    Read at NBC News (opens in a new tab)
  • The New York TimesLeft

    The Holei Sea Arch, a Centuries-Old Hawaii Wonder, Crumbles Into the Pacific

    A tropical storm was moving through the area when the 90-foot lava rock formation disintegrated, the National Park Service said.

    Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeft

    Hawaii’s centuries-old sea arch collapses into Pacific after series of rough storms

    Hōlei sea arch, formed 550 years ago by erosion from ocean waves, no longer standing, National Park Service confirms A famed centuries-old sea arch on Hawaii’s remote and rugged coastline has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean, the National Park Service confirmed on Friday, …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • NPS confirmation and statements
  • long-term geological instability since 2018 eruption
  • historical timeline of prior cliff closures

Leaves out

  • visitor trespassing near the site after the collapse

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

3 outlets

Leads with

  • suddenness of the collapse
  • visitor photos taken shortly before the collapse
  • danger from trespassers near the unstable site

Leaves out

  • NPS’s long-term warnings since 2021 about the arch’s eventual collapse

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    9 hr 53 min later

    Its first report, Oct 2, 4:16 PM EDT

  • Center

    10 hr 37 min later

    Its first report, Oct 2, 5:00 PM EDT

  • Right

    First to report

    New York Post, Oct 2, 6:23 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. New York PostRightOct 2, 6:23 AM EDT
  2. Daily MailRightOct 2, 12:40 PM EDT
  3. The GuardianLeftOct 2, 4:16 PM EDT
  4. BBC NewsCenterOct 2, 5:00 PM EDT
  5. The New York TimesLeftOct 2, 5:01 PM EDT
  6. NBC NewsLeftOct 2, 10:50 PM EDT
  7. The Washington TimesRightOct 3, 9:08 AM EDT
  8. CBS NewsLeftOct 3, 9:58 AM EDT
  9. ABC NewsLeftOct 3, 10:54 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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