The archipelago lies 10 km north-east of the much larger
Barrow Island, and 15 km south of the
Montebello Islands, about 120 km west of the port of
Dampier. Of the 34 islands, the largest is 83 ha
Varanus Island, 2.5 km long by 600 m wide. Other large islands are Bridled (27 ha),
Abutilon (27 ha), Parkinsonia (10 ha), and Beacon (1.5 ha). Geologically, the islands are formed of uplifted and sparsely vegetated
limestone. The inshore waters of the archipelago support
coral reefs and beds of
seagrass and
seaweed. Varanus Island houses a
gas separation plant, oil storage tanks, and a
pipeline for loading offshore
tankers. ==Birds==