This reef was first sighted by Europeans at the time of the Spanish expedition of
Álvaro de Mendaña and
Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa on 1 February 1558. It was charted as
Bajos de la Candelaria (shoals of Our Lady of
Candlemas in Spanish). Its sighting was also reported by Spanish naval officer
Francisco Mourelle de la Rúa on 22 January 1781 on board of frigate
La Princesa. He charted this reef as
Peregrino Roncador (Snoring Pilgrim in Spanish). ==References==