In August 1840, the conclusion of a treaty of friendship and commerce between the Sultan Mohammed bin Mohammed of Tadjoura and Commander Robert Moresby of the Indian Navy describes the sale of Moucha Island to Great Britain for ten sacks of rice.

The islands were used by Henry de Monfreid in 1914 as a weapons cache to try to sell smuggled arms.

After the deposit was discovered, a "detachment indigenous guards" was installed on the island and occupancy restricted.

It lies approximately 15 kilometres (9 miles) south of the Djibouti's mainland It enjoys significantly more sunny days and high temperatures throughout the year.

Featuring an arid climate (Köppen: BWh), temperatures range from very warm during the months of December, January and February, to extremely hot in July.