There is a spot — pretty enough to take your breath away — on the front side of Santa Cruz Island (the big island directly offshore from Santa Barbara).
It is a small cove, accessible by boat — it would be quite a hike from any nearby anchorages with landing spots — and totally worth a visit.
I call the spot “Hole in the Wall.” I don’t know if the tiny cove has any other name.
Located not far from Pelican Bay, Hole in the Wall typically has clear aqua-marine water with large boulders strewn around the bottom.
It is usually pretty easy to spot garibaldi (the California State saltwater fish) swimming and pecking away for food around the boulders. The cute little orange fish are about the size of your hand and just love to swim in and out of gaps and overhangs between rocks.
Looking shoreward toward the main part of the island, the terrain is jumbled with rocks and looks formidable in terms of hiking in or out. But the mini peninsula that forms the outside of the cove is where you will see the feature that earns the spot its nickname.
An arch forms a fairly circular hole in the rock, creating a picture-perfect frame for photos. The rocks surrounding the hole in the wall look like a perfect resting spot for a mermaid.
That’s what I dream about when I visit the spot. It is the perfect spot for a daydream.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help.
