The name Vanikoro is always used as though it referred to a single island, due to both its geophysical and cultural unity.

However, technically it is a group of several nearby islands surrounded by a single belt of coral reef.

It was sighted by Lorenzo Barreto, while in command of one of the smaller vessels on a voyage around the then Santa Cruz, which is today's Nendo Island.

It is reported[6] that some of the men were killed by the local inhabitants, while the surviving sailors built a smaller vessel and left the island, but were never seen again.

[8] Chapter 1, Coral Sea, of James Michener's novel, Tales of the South Pacific, is set on the island of Vanicoro.

It has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports populations of endemic Vanikoro monarchs and Vanikoro white-eyes, as well as of red-bellied fruit doves, pied goshawks, palm lorikeets, cardinal myzomelas, Polynesian trillers and rusty-winged starlings.