Kerguelen Arch, Natural arch at Loranchet Peninsula, Kerguelen Islands, France
Two freestanding stone pillars rise along the northern coast between Baie de l'Oiseau and Baie de la Dauphine on Loranchet Peninsula. The vertical rock formations consist of volcanic material and mark the remains of what was once a continuous structure.
The original arch structure measuring 130 feet (40 meters) across collapsed sometime between 1908 and 1913, likely due to erosion or seismic activity. The collapse left behind the two vertical pillars that remain at this coastal location today.
French postal authorities selected this geological feature for multiple stamp issues representing the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, establishing it as a recognized symbol of these remote subantarctic territories.
Access requires ship transportation only, as the archipelago has no civilian airport facilities. Expedition cruises departing from Réunion reach the islands after several days at sea and occasionally allow zodiac landings in calm weather conditions for viewing the formation.
The remaining pillars stand in one of the windiest regions on Earth, where average wind speeds reach 60 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) and oceanic forces continuously reshape the coastal landscape through constant battering.
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