The Channel Islands are gorgeous in their entirety, and I’ve been blessed to have spent thousands of days there, plying the waters and showing people the scenery.

Blue-green waters swirl through a craggy arch that forms a hole in the rock. The arch creates a unique frame for taking photos. (Courtesy photo)
An unusual arch forms a hole in the rock, creating a unique frame for taking photos. (Courtesy photo)

Yet there are spots within the sanctuary that are so ultra special they warrant our attention.

One such spot is pretty enough to take your breath away. It is a small cove tucked in 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, but the name fits it perfectly.

Located not far from Pelican Bay, Hole-in-the-Wall typically has very clear aquamarine water with large boulders strewn around the bottom. The water is usually — not always — calm, and it is a delightful spot to visit.

It is typically 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.

I’ve found other fish in the cove, such as calico bass and shallow water rockfish. Generally, I’ve taken people into Hole-in-the-Wall simply to show them a uniquely special place.
 
Looking shoreward toward the picturesque island, the terrain is jumbled with rocks and looks formidable in terms of hiking in or out. But the mini peninsula which forms the outside of the cove is where you will see the feature that earns the spot its nickname.

An arch forms a uniquely-shaped hole in the rock, creating a picture-perfect frame for photos. I’ve shot pictures from inside the cove, looking through the hole in the wall and captured boats, birds and dolphins at or near the surface of the water outside.

The rocks surrounding the hole in the wall look like a perfect resting spot for a beautiful mermaid. That’s what I dream about when I visit the spot. It is the perfect spot for a daydream.

Capt. David Bacon is a boating safety consultant and expert witness, with a background in high-tech industries and charter boat ownership and operation. He teaches classes for Santa Barbara City College and, with a lifelong interest in wildlife, writes outdoors columns for Noozhawk and other publications. The opinions expressed are his own.