The Frenchman Louis Tromelin, aboard the corvette "Bayonnaise", came across Phoenix Island, (as well as Sydney Island, discussed above), probably in 1828 (but some sources give 1823 as the date). and 1826. Tromelin placed the island at 3°42'S, 189°17'E, and noted his belief that it had already been reported on Norie's map. Reynold’s report also mentions an island referred to as "Phenix", as well as other unnamed islands, at similar coordinates. The island’s discoverer and the origin of its name are unknown, but there are several possible candidates: the whaling ship of Nantucket, Massachusetts, which was active in the area and was the discoverer of Winslow Reef; the London whaler "Phoenix", owned by Daniel Bennett (W. Bennett & Co), which was whaling in the Pacific in 1815; the , under the command of John Palmer in 1824; and another vessel named the , under the command of a Captain Moore, which was in the Pacific in 1794.