MONTE BELLO ISLANDS

Australian coral islands in the Indian Ocean off the northwest coast of Western Australia, 60 mi (100 km) west of the Dampier Archipelago. The largest of the uninhabited group are North West, Trimouille, South East, and Hermite. Comparatively flat and sandy, they are indented by coves lined with mangroves. In 1622 the English ship Tryal was wrecked on one of the reefs. Nicolas Baudin charted their waters (180102) and named them in honour of the French duke of Montebello (Jean Lannes). They were used for the 1952 and 1956 British atomic explosions, and Japanese and Australian fishermen were barred from the area because of radiation.