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There is a magical 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 well-known Prisoner’s Harbor where there is a pier, and very close to Pelican Bay, Hole-in-the-Wall typically has clear aqua-marine water with large boulders strewn around the bottom. The visibility is typically gin clear, making it a perfect place to watch sea life in the natural environment.

It is common 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 outstretched hand and just love to swim in and out of gaps and overhangs between rocks.

This species enjoys protections and may not be caught and kept.

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Garibaldi are the most noteworthy of the daily inhabitants, and I’ve spotted them on almost every visit to the spot. Other than this famous fish, the variety of visible sealife is sometimes awe inspiring.

I’ve spotted octopus, squid, crab, lobster, and more species of fish than I have space to list.

I once saw a very large and dark shape —  that I thought was a dark boulder — suddenly move over a few feet, hold still and then calmly swim out of the cove to continue its hunt for the quarry of its choice. It was a giant seabass that I would guess was close to 300 pounds.

Above the waterline, looking shoreward towards the main part of the island, the terrain is jumbled with rocks and looks formidable in terms of hiking in or out. I’ve seen people go onto the rocks and poke around some, but they wanted back on the boat because the sealife in the cove was the best part.

The mini peninsula that forms the outside of the cove is where you will see the feature that earns the spot its nickname. An impressive rock arch forms a circular hole in the rock, with Chinese Cove visible in the distance through the hole.

It all creates 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. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.

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