A photo of two men "surfing" on the back of a turtle on the beach at Fraser Island has drawn widespread condemnation and could cost them $20,000.
Originally posted on Facebook by Gold Coast man Ricky Rogers, the photo has been shared more than 4000 times in an attempt to draw attention to the cruel act.
A Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services spokesperson told AAP that rangers had begun investigations, acknowledging the turtle appears to be dead.
"QPWS are taking this matter seriously and investigating further," they said.
The maximum fine is $19,995.
Hundreds of people have labelled the pair "idiots" and called for them to be fined.
"Dead or not it's still wrong and inhuman (sic), like do we think it's acceptable to stand on the back of a dead human being? No. So it's not alright to stand on the back of a dead animal," one person wrote.
