We consider herein the Ostrovsky equation which arises in modeling the propagation of the surface and internal solitary waves in shallow water, or the capillary waves in a plasma with the effects of rotation. Using the modified sliding method, we prove that the solitary wave moving to the left to the Ostrovsky equation is symmetric about the origin and unique up to translations. We also establish the regularity and decay properties of solitary waves and obtain some results of the nonexistence of solitary wave solutions depending on the wave speed, weak rotation, and dispersive parameter.