The first historical reference correlated with the submarine volcanoes between São Miguel and Terceira occurred after two ships of the French corsair Henry Tourin sank in the spring of 1718.

[2][3] After two centuries of disputed references to the existence of the island, on 28 July 1941 the hydrographic ship NH D. João de Castro identified its position and cataloged the morphology of the bank.

[4] A maximum seismic event was recorded from the islands of São Miguel and Terceira, equivalent to levels III/IV on the Mercalli Scale.

[4] The volcano remains seismically active between the islands of São Miguel and Terceira, rising to within 13 m (43 ft) of the sea surface.

On 27 July 1996, in a scientific expedition organized by the Clube Naval de Ponta Delgada, marine biology researchers from the University of the Azores completed a study identifying species localized within the bank.