In pictures: The Conflict Islands in Papua New Guinea

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  A Papua New Guinean man uses a basic rudder inserted into the water through the bodywork of a traditional sailing to guide it across the lagoon water of the Conflict Group of Islands of the Mine Bay Provence, Papua New Guinea. With a fledgling economy many Papua New Guineans still prefer this traditional mode of transport between the islands. Petrol is expensive and modern boats and engines need more regular maintenance.

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  Small Basslets coral fish swim in the current along the reef.

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  A tiny Blue Spotted Ray hides from the photographer in a small cave along the reef.

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  Golden Damsel fish and Basslets congregate around a collection of soft corals and tabletop coral growing on the reef.

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  Covering 375 hectares, the Conflicts are one-and-a-half times the size of Monaco. Encircled by the temperate waters of the Coral Sea, they boast some of the most extensive underwater biodiversity in the world.

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  The lagoon that sits at the centre of the atoll is about 22 kilometres in length and 10 kilometres in width.

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  The islands were named after the HMS Conflict, which discovered the atoll in 1866, and that they’ve mostly stayed uninhabited. That is until the recent development of Panasesa Island by Gowrie-Smith.

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  A fan coral grows along the reef where it is able to catch nutrients from the passing current.

Taking a closer look at the Conflict Islands in Papua New Guinea. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National.