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The photo was originally posted on an Instagram account believed to belong to one of the men in the photo.
"Surfed a tortoise on zee weekend... gnarly duddddeeeee," the poster wrote.
Matt Wright, an Australian wildlife photographer took a screengrab and shared it on his Facebook page, blocking out the original poster's name.
Wright was critical of the photo in his Facebook post writing: "When your brain is the size of a peanut, your thought process is ridiculous. Share this around and let's see if we can get this fool a nice hefty fine."
Other Facebook users quickly obliged. Since Tuesday, Wright's post has been shared more than 13,500 times and generated more than 2,000 comments, most of which are critical.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) said its rangers were investigating the incident.
"There is some evidence to suggest that this turtle was deceased at the time of the photo," the statement said. "QPWS are taking this matter seriously and investigating further."
The man who originally posted the photo on Instagram has made both his Instagram and Facebook accounts private. CNN has attempted to contact him for comment, but has not received a reply.