SunKissWanderer
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A famous rock formation off the Galapagos Islands named after Charles Darwin has collapsed.
The Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment announced the collapse of Darwin's Arch in a Facebook post on Monday, saying it was caused by 'natural erosion'.
Images showed the arch missing its central part, with only the two stone supporting columns remaining.
The Galapagos Conservation Trust described the arch as 'an icon' of the islands in a Twitter post following the news of its collapse.
The arch lies less than a kilometre from Darwin, the northernmost island of the Galapagos archipelago.
It is made of natural stone and, at one point, may have been part of the island of Darwin, the environment ministry said.
The formation is named after the famous English biologist Charles Darwin, whose study of finches on the islands in the 19th century helped him describe the theory of evolution.
The uninhabited Darwin island and its surrounding area are not open for land visits, however the site is considered one of the best locations on the planet to go diving and observe schools of sharks and other species, according to the ministry.
Sharks that can be seen there include scalloped hammerheads, whale sharks, Galapagos sharks and black jack sharks.
Other species found in the area include manta rays, dolphins and green turtles.
The Galapagos Islands, some 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) off the coast of Ecuador, contain unique flora and fauna not seen anywhere else on earth and are part of a biosphere reserve.
The archipelago, a World Heritage site, is made up of 234 islands, inlets and rocks. Four of them are home to some 30,000 people.