[2] Much of the island is located within the Manukapua Government Purpose (Wildlife Management) Reserve, previously known as the Tapora Government Purpose (Wildlife Management) Reserve,[5] and the island is a part of the Manukapua Island and Okahukura Sequence biodiversity focus area,[4] It is an important nesting area for the New Zealand dotterel and New Zealand fairy tern, and is a roosting area for migratory birds.

Some of the crew members, including Rongomai, Mawete and Po, settled at Tāporapora, with the descendants of Toi, who already lived in the area.

[7] Tāporapora was a fertile sandy land that gradually eroded west of the Okahukura Peninsula, of which Manukapua Island is a remnant.

[8][9] The island is seen as the birthplace of Ngāti Whātua, and has spiritual importance to the hapū Te Uri-o-Hau.

[10] In 2019, the Department of Conservation funded a widescale restoration project on the island, where 5 ha (12 acres) of gorse and pampas that had grown since the fire was cleared, and replaced by 13,000 native trees.