Lifestyle Rare photos show ‘world’s biggest swarm’ of sea turtles By Charlotte Edwards, The Sun Published June 9, 2020, 3:21 p.m. ET Previous 1 of 6 Next Advertisement Raine Island turtle aggregation.Great Barrier Reef Foundation an Great Barrier Reef Foundation an Advertisement Christian Miller Turtles nesting on Raine Island.Christian Miller Advertisement Stunning snaps of migrating turtles could show one of the biggest sea turtle swarms ever captured on camera. The images and accompanying video show thousands of green sea turtles flocking to Raine Island off the coast of Australia. The turtles head towards the island each year to lay their eggs. According to Australian Geographic, as many as 64,000 female green turtles are known to make the journey. The academic publication also claims that the images could show one of the biggest swarms ever observed. Some green turtles travel thousands of miles across the ocean to reach the popular egg laying spot. The small sandy island lies on top of a coral reef and only measures 79 acres in total. It’s located approximately 3 north-northwest of Cairns in Queensland, Australia. A drone was used to capture the migration last December. Researchers took the footage so they could try and count the turtles. Research like this helps to keep an eye on the endangered species. Once the turtles get to the shore, they dig a nest into the sand. They then lay their eggs and bury them again. This is when the job of a green turtle mother is essentially done and they leave the eggs to fend for themselves.