It is low-lying and surrounded by extensive sandbanks lying over a limestone platform forming a large lagoon.

The Adele Island Nature Reserve was gazetted on 1 December 2000, has a size of 2.17 square kilometres (0.84 sq mi), is located within the Northern Kimberley bioregion,[4] and was declared in recognition of its status as a bird breeding sanctuary.

Since then the Department of Environment and Conservation has embarked on a campaign to eradicate the island of the Polynesian Rats that are a constant threat to the native seabirds.

[6] The island is classified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area for its seabirds and waders.

[8] Rolloliths can be made of barnacles (balanuliths); coral (corallith); vermetulid worms (vermetuliths); red crustose coralline green growth (rhodolith); or bryozoans (bryoliths).