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Nine juveniles and one adult turtle were found dead on the Boyne Island beach and adjacent Canoe Point tip near the mouth of the Boyne River last Sunday.
Seven of the turtles were located dead in Boyne Island with the remaining three found washed up at Tannum Sands.
The discovery was reported by a member of the public to Gladstone and District Wildlife Carers Association about midday.
Group president and wildlife carer Jodi Jones attended Boyne Island beach soon after, witnessing the grisly scene which has deeply angered and upset her.
Mrs Jones said each of the turtles appeared to be healthy, beautiful specimens with no visible signs of trauma.
She said it was worrying considering it was not a natural occurrence that would normally happen.
"I just cried," Mrs Jones said.
"I could not believe my eyes.
"They are such an ancient and peaceful animal.
"For so many to have died in one space in such a short time is devastating.
"They were strung out on the beach about 25 metres apart."
Having rescued many turtles from the Boyne River suffering from floating syndrome, Mrs Jones said none of these dead turtles showed the tell-tale signs associated with this syndrome or obvious signs of any other injuries or illness.
Mrs Jones, with the assistance of her husband Nathan, measured, documented and photographed all of the dead turtles with the information forwarded to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for further investigation.
Although there is no proof at this stage, there is mounting speculation that the deaths of the turtles are the result of drowning.
A number of residents have voiced their concerns to The Observer that the turtles are being caught in the fishing nets of professional fishermen set up near the mouth of the Boyne River with one resident reportedly witnessing early this morning two turtles caught in nets being retrieved by the fishermen.
The Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) has since issued a media release to The Observer, stating the death of native animals on this scale was very concerning and DERM is investigating this incident.
"We already have a number of measures in place at Boyne River and across the state to protect turtles," the DERM spokesman said.
"This includes protecting the species under the Nature Conservation Act, declaring the area a State Marine Park and educating the public to drive their boats slowly in turtle habitats.
"Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service has already conducted necropsies on the animals and has ruled out boat strikes, starvation and traditional hunting as the cause of death.
"We will continue to investigate the incident to determine the cause."
In the meantime, Mrs Jones is calling on members of the public to report findings of dead, sick or injured marine wildlife to QPWS on 1300 130 372.
Likewise, Mrs Jones said if people observed fishing nets left unattended they should phone the fisheries immediately on their Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.
"People really need to report these things to the authorities," Mrs Jones said.
Check out a possible pattern of mass wildlife deaths throughout the world with regard to the symmetry in mountain chains.
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