[3][4] The island is 3 metres (9.8 ft) above spring tide level and is oblong in shape with its long axis facing north and south.

[8][9] In the past, Brown rats were observed in large numbers around the island, especially in the south and east where they hid among the rocks along the shore.

Given that the rats are most likely to prey on the eggs and young of nesting seabirds, their prolonged existence on the island was a probable threat to them.

Given that the island is nearly empty of flora and is absolutely devoid of fresh water, it is impossible to understand what the rats feed on when the birds are not around throughout the year.

[13] Guano was said to be available in abundance on Latham in 1845, and Sultan Said awarded Messrs, Cogan and Co. of London and Zanzibar a concession for its extraction.

The project was halted due to a disagreement about this labour between the Sultan, Cogan, and the British Foreign Office, and it is unlikely that any guano was removed from the island.

However, it was discovered that it had more phosphate and less nitrogen than usual Peruvian guano, albeit it did compare to that collected from Saldanha Bay, South Africa.