The bay was named by the crew of Captain James Cook's sailing ship the 'Endeavour' in 1770. They were the first Europeans to visit these parts. At Cape Tribulation 25 km to the south, their ship was badly damaged when it hit a coral reef. They headed north seeking a sheltered deep-water estuary in which to repair the ship, and were weary with the battle to keep the ship afloat as they investigated the bay and Bloomfield River estuary and deemed it unsuitable for their purposes. They eventually found the shelter they were seeking in the river Cook named the Endeavour (now site of the town of Cooktown) a further 50 km to the north.