They are found in St George's Channel between New Britain and New Ireland islands and form part of the Bismarck Archipelago.

[1] The wreck of HMAS AE1, lost in 1914 possibly due to a diving accident,[2] was located near these islands in December 2017 after 13 search missions.

[3] The exact location of the wreck was not announced by the Australian government at the time of discovery, to protect it from "unauthorized salvage attempts".

The island group lies in an active seismic zone, where two tectonic plates push upon each other.

The islands are low-lying, and are threatened with inundation due to rising sea levels.