The island was discovered by an American named Joseph Ingraham in April of 1791, then again two months later by a Frenchman known as Étienne Marchand.

The island is an important nesting ground for red-footed booby, black noddy, white tern, great frigatebird, and masked booby, and home to the endemic northern Marquesan reed warbler and the Marquesan ground dove.

It is also the largest breeding site of Phoenix Petrel in French Polynesia Many native seabirds come to nest on the island throughout the year.

The island is also plagued by Polynesian rat (Rattus exulens) a species introduced by humans sometime in the last several hundred years.

The rats likely prey upon native animals and plants potentially changing the ecosystem dynamic on the island.