[1] The navigator and botanist Jules Dumont d'Urville charted the island in 1827.

[3] These islands shelter the waterway known as the Astrolabe Roadstead from Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, making it popular with kayakers and boaties.

[4] Motu means island, arero is a tongue and nui is big; hence, Motuareronui literally means the big island shaped like a tongue, which makes Motuareroiti / Fisherman Island (with iti meaning little) the little island shaped like a tongue; however, in his comprehensive book on natural and cultural history of Abel Tasman National Park, Philip Simpson suggests the two islands are incorrectly named, as follows:[5] Tongues (arero) are important to Māori culture... the islands are not, however, noticeable tongue shaped.

A recent official change as a result of the Treaty settlement is that Tasman Bay is shared with Te Tai o Aorere.

This supports the suggestion that the two islands are incorrectly named and should be Motuaorerenui and Motuaorereiti.