SI Swimsuit pays tribute to Malta's Azure Window

The site of one of our most memorable photos from SI Swimsuit 2016 has collapsed.

Kelsey Hendrix | Mar 7, 2017

It's a sad day here at SI Swimsuit, as we've just learned that Malta's famous Azure Window rock arch has collapsed into the sea after heavy storms last night.

The arch served as the backdrop to some of our favorite photos from last year's issue. Shot by photographer Ben Watts, our then-rookie Tanya Mityushina posed in front of the European landmark, bringing even more beauty to one of the region's most well-known hotspots.

Tanya was joined in Malta by fellow SI Swimsuit models Robyn Lawley, Samantha Hoopes, Kate Bock and Kelly Rohrbach, but was the only model to be photographed in front of the iconic Azure Window.

In recent years, the limestone arch on Gozo Island had been featured in Game of Thrones, various other films and in the Instagram feeds of thousands of tourists traveling to the Mediterranean Sea. Studies dating back to 2013 predicted that erosion was inevitable, with law enforcement enforcing fines for those who dared to walk across the site. But in the end, it was Mother Nature, not humans, who took down the beloved arch.