 Obed Starbuck of the Nantucket whaler "Loper" on February 19, 1826, as he saw a "reef of rocks" in the reported position of 5° 29′ S, 175° 01′ W. that day.The multiple positions of Winslow Reef, mentioned by Robert Louis Stevenson, may have been due to confusing the position of Carondelet Reef with Winslow Reef.The reef is part of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area as an underwater nature reserve.